Post 7: Following Bus Route 1 in the East End

October 26, 2014 kreinhar 4 Comments

For my group’s transect walk, we decided to follow Bus Route 1 in the East End to get a better sense of the public bus system in practice. Starting along Congress Street and walking up Munjoy Hill to the East End, we followed the route counter-clockwise eventually returning to our original position at the bottom of Munjoy Hill on Congress Street. This direction is important to note because I believe we went in the opposite direction of the buses. Because we did not follow the same direction and also were only one particular side of the street during the walk, I do wonder how many bus stops we may have missed on our transect walk. This is something to consider when analyzing our observations in the future. The details of the walk are posted below.

Transect Walk

We began at the intersection of Congress and Mountfort heading east on Congress. I noticed that this portion of Congress has a bike lane heading out of Downtown Portland into the East End. The first bus stop we encounter is in front of 206 Congress Street and is displayed with the following sign:

All but one of the other bus stops we encounter are represented simply by this sign. (The two white lines in the image also make up the bike lane I mentioned). The next bus stop is at the intersection of Sheridan and Congress (and is not shown in Google Maps – see the next image where there is no bus icon indicating a stop at this intersection).

The divergence between our observations and some of the stops that are shown on Google Maps already makes me questions Google Maps’ accuracy (or perhaps my own ability to record the location of bus stops).

Anyway, the next stop we observed was on Atlantic Street (the bus route turns to the right on this street) at the corner of Atlantic and Monument. I notice that there is no one else walking on the street with us while we are on Atlantic and the street is lined with parked cars. The next bus stop is at 27 Atlantic Street. We then turn left on the Eastern Promenade and see a bus heading opposite our direction and on to Atlantic Street confirming that these buses do in fact exist. The next bus stop is at the corner of Vesper and the Eastern Promenade. And the next two are at 126 Eastern Promenade and 182 Eastern Promenade. We all notice how beautiful the houses are in this area and how most have an ocean view.

Many of them appear to be broken down into apartments. The next bus stop we see is at Turner and Eastern Promenade and then at 310 Eastern Promenade. We eventually get to the part of the promenade that leads up to the East End Community School. After passing tennis courts to our right, we reach a baseball field and the area unfortunately smells like sewage. We round the corner to the left and circle the school and come to a bus stop in front of the school.

It is the only bus stop we encounter that has a small shelter and map of the bus system. We continue down North Street and encounter bus stops at 143 North Street, Quebec and North, and Cumberland and North. We finish our transect walk when North Street intersects with Congress and we reach area that we have already covered.

Reflection

Admittedly, nothing too paramount devolved from my transect walk, but I did have notice a few important things. I did not expect the bus stop signs to be too significantly obvious on the street, but I was surprised that only one stop had a shelter. It was also comforting to indeed see a bus while on our transect walk. Stops were so frequent that I don’t actually think they are an issue at all. I actually think they are spread too thin and that there should be another major bus stop somewhere at the top of Munjoy Hill or near the Eastern Promenade (like the structure in front of the school) and that would suffice for the entire East End community. This could streamline the bus routes and allow for buses to more frequently come to the area. And following upon my maps and café ethnography, adding GPS and Wi-Fi to the buses could vastly increase ridership as well and is another way the bus system could be improved. Finally, one last impression I had was the lack of bikes or bike racks I noticed in the area. The only evidence of cycling was the one bike lane on Congress Street. It seems like Portland is not much of a bike city at all. Thus, I should also carefully consider the bike sharing ideas I was told by one of my mental mappers as another way to improve transportation as well.

Post #6: Individual Analysis of Ethnography & Mental Maps

Dobra Tea Ethnography + “Bougies” and being “Classed” out of Portland

October 26, 2014 achen 5 Comments

I have to say that speaking to Tom of Strange Maine and collecting a map from him truly affected me. I left the shop feeling ashamed that for so long, I had only had a narrow vision of Portland, its people and culture. We have learned in this class about gentrification, pointing out Munjoy Hill on our field trip, and here I was talking to a displaced native of that very neighborhood. He was honest and willing to talk, and never once slighted the “bougie”. But I could tell that he was sad and nostalgic for his Portland.

I wonder if Portland could be “cool” without gentrifying. The answer is easily no, because space is economically valued (according to views, proximity to desirable areas and topography) and money always wins. Where better to have the arts district and a stretch of upper-class restaurants than Congress, on the top of the hill? I had never even noticed that it was on a hill, since nothing had previously attracted me to explore beyond Congress, the heart of the city to me. Standing on that street, I am not only above socioeconomically, but topographically as well. The descent on either side of this “crest” is steeper on the side towards Cumberland Avenue, and dramatically different aesthetically. This parallel street is plain, average. This is where I saw modest houses and black people living their lives. On the other side of the “crest”, the streets slope more gradually towards Old Port and the water, where there is an interesting mix of places: boutiques catering to people brought in by cruise ships, gelato stores, a hippie chain shop (Mexicali Blues), specialty Himalayan pink salt crystal shop, a cheap pizza joint on the same street as Standard Bakery and tourist shops.

I also found that on the Western Promenade a beautiful little green space; anyone would be naturally drawn to it. It was so open, the setting sun was brimming over the edge. When I got there, I realized that I was practically on a cliff, and when I looked down I saw the pocket of strip mall and fast food joints I had encountered earlier. I was so high up, looking down at a place I had declined to explore further on my transect walk. The light did not hit what was below the same way it hit the patch of green I was standing on. I remember when the public artist we met on our field trip asked each of us where our favorite places where. I was surprised that we all chose places in nature. My favorite place is a hill in a Valley Forge Historical park, but when I stand atop it and look down, there is only more green below it. I feel as if anyone could stand on top of that hill with me and we could share the view; in that way it the word “public” is at its purest. Not just public by money-backed standards.

There are many exciting angles in which we can begin to improve Portland. But I think lost under those are solutions directed towards the displaced. Perhaps a smart survey project could be conducted which maps out the costs of what constitutes experiencing culture. The map would be accessible to all, an interactive map exploring all that Portland has to offer and allowing lesser known places more visibility. It should integrate quantitative data and direct, qualitative human input in order to show people that yes, the Asian grocer on the west end of Congress is worth visiting, and quite affordable if you need a snack. We need mechanisms that invite people to see an expanded vision of culture, and therefore disperse the concentration of money on top of the hill towards places that may not be as glossy and “nice”, but are rich with culture of another kind.

But now that brings me into confusing question of how to define culture. I am one to be easily blinded by the colors, lights and sounds of Congress St. While I do not have the means to visit every restaurant and pick through every shop, even if I am just strolling around, I can by my very upper-middle class background afford to feel as if this is somewhere I belong. And while I was standing in Strange Maine conversing with Tom, I was dressed in half in thrifted clothes in my ineffective attempts to maintain my outward self-expression while getting away from shiny, new materialism found in stores. I realized then that I cannot separate myself from the culture I grew up in (a very commercialized suburb of Philly), and nor can Tom. We both have our implicit definitions of culture, and they are quite different, but Strange Maine did seem to be an intersection between our two definitions.

There is cultural wealth and wealth of culture. Which would we rather have?

Kelly Arbor, 37. Queer, of Italian/French/Canadian/Lithuanian background. Change Artist and Barista Witch. Has lived in Portland for 4.5 months and is originally from Mexico, Maine. Leads Maine Educationalists on Sexual Harmony (MESH), whose goal is to “create a holistic integration of sex and identity and to (re)build a stronger community united with sex-positive awareness”. Used the word “mesh” multiple times in conversation. Made a conceptual map of places where he is planning events. Talked about “third spaces” (where one does not live or work) where he strategically plans educational “protests” so that they intersect target groups; for example, the street that Portland High School students pour out onto when they get out of school for the day.

Suggestion for Improvement: More bike lanes and green spaces.

Tom — caucasian, 30-something male who has worked at Strange Maine on and off for 11 years since it opened in 2003. Born in Portland, grew up in pre-gentrification Munjoy Hill, when people spoke of it as “slightly dangerous”. Likes avant-garde experimental music. Prefers grit in things. Commutes to work because he has been “classed” or “priced” out of the “peninsula proper”. Describes new Portland as having become culturally null, sterilized in a sense, and in a transitional state. “Same stuff in glossier packaging”. Nostalgically describes Congress St back in the day, and recommends that I visit Paul’s convenience store, a Maine-y place where you will hear Maine accents, where “bougie” people don’t go. We discuss other towns in Maine: “Everyone shits on Lewiston”.

Suggestion for Improvement: I did not explicitly ask. But if he could live in the place he grew up, that would be awesome.

Mary, 62 years old, caucasian. Has lived in Portland with husband for 35 years. Have two children with grandchildren. Opened a Quaker School on Mackworth Island (Friends School of Portland). We discussed gentrification: “Portland is an asset…need to bring money in somehow”.

Hunter, 19, caucasian male student. Considers himself a “foodie”. Would rather live here than anywhere else, because of its perfect size — small enough that there’s not much traffic or crime. “If Portland wasn’t gentrified, it wouldn’t be cool”.

Suggestion for Improvement: More means of transportation other than cars.

Post #6: Individual Analysis of Ethnography & Mental Maps

West End – Best End, Mental Maps of Portland and Cafe Ethnography

October 26, 2014 Konstantine 6 Comments

After collecting mental maps from residents and chatting with them about the city, I realized that there is no single set of smart city recommendations because Portland is different for every single one of its residents. One of the Issues that most interviewees pointed out was the lack of efficient public transportation system. So, I guess there are some recommendations that can make life better and easier for all residents.

See Mentals Maps and Cafe Ethnography inside this post…

Continue reading West End – Best End, Mental Maps of Portland and Cafe Ethnography →

Uncategorized

Quaint Café to Peppy Ice Cream Shop: An Ethnography and a Wide Range of Mental Cartographers

October 26, 2014 jwatt 4 Comments

I walked into Hilltop Café on a Saturday night in late October, not expecting to encounter many Portlanders and expecting to have to hunt around the city during my limited hours to try and find mental maps. I was proven wrong, however, as the café stayed full from the time I entered around a quarter to six until closing time at seven. Unfortunately, the café closed before I could spend a full three hours people watching, but it was neat to observe the emptying and closing of the small café. I went into the city with four friends, and the café was too full for them to sit with me. They ordered drinks while I sat down to start my observations, and they were at the counter for about ten minutes. I later learned that there was a money mix-up, and the barista thought that my friends were trying to cheat her of $20. I observed this interaction, but did not overhear it all and was thus surprised to hear about this little miff at an otherwise quaint café.

The first couple that I talked to in the café were Munjoy Hill residents, but they had only lived in Portland for slightly over two months. The next three people that I talked to in the café, however, all lived in Munjoy Hill and were able to provide insight into my particular focus research field. All three interviewees expressed a desire for improved public transportation, including bus schedules posted at each bus stops, apps to tell you bus schedules (one woman said this would be helpful for her kids who take city buses to school), wifi for public buses, and greater frequency of buses to shorten the commute within the city. This was a very clear consensus that could be greatly improved by the implementation of a myriad of smart technology.

The second woman that I interviewed in the café has been a resident of Munjoy Hill for 15 years. She appeared slightly uncomfortable when I asked her about gentrification in the neighborhood, and she proceeded to identify as a gentrifier, making it seem like there was a stigma around gentrification. She explained that when she first moved to Munjoy Hill and bought her house for $99,000, her friends questioned why she would want to live in a seedy part of the city. Now she and her husband own and have refurbished another property which they rent out. She told me that she has been “priced out” and would not be able to afford her house now.

I found my final interviewee in a peppy ice cream shop in the touristy Old Port, Captain Sam’s Ice Cream. My friends and I entered around 9:00 pm right as this man and his two friends were getting ready to leave. The men were wearing shirts from work, and it seemed as if their shifts had just ended. When I approached the man and asked for a map, he was hesitant at first, and then he agreed. We sat down at a small table by the window and he quickly scribbled down his map. After less than a minute, his friends came over and started razzing him and telling him to quit “doing arts and crafts.” They were clearly ready to go, and although I tried to explain to them that he was helping me out with a research project, they were persistent.

Their buddy got up to go after just about two minutes on the map and they left before I could ask him any questions. It turns out he left his ice cream on the table, so he was back shortly after, but he clearly came back for the ice cream and not my research. This encounter, though limited in the direct information that he provided me, showed an interesting encounter between three working class men and a privileged college student. It seemed as if the men felt uncomfortable in the situation, and I felt uncomfortable as well. It was a surprising environment for the reunion of two different kinds of people, but the limited information the man provided and the context of the encounter nicely supplemented and contrasted the three maps that I collected at the café.

Café ethnography (Hilltop Café):

5:50

-man drawing, twenties, white

-woman on ipod, twenties, white, E. Promenade

-man and woman with coffee, Nalgene, ipad and laptop, hushed voices

-woman with earbuds in couch (runner?)

-older man and woman at table

-two men, 30s, leaving, one with backpack

-woman in 30s-40s, on laptop

-man, younger an and woman, family? Talking

-quiet music

-pretty crowded

-1 barista

6:00

-family (boy, girl man and woman, older man), woman taking photos

-man next to me copying sketch from his phone

-man across with woman and older man balancing phone against vase

-takes about 5 minutes for barista to process order

-man and woman next to me talking at intervals

-barista talking to customers about money (cash mixup?)

-barista giving back money because she trusts them, seems uncomfortable

6:15

-no turnover

-barista in back breaking down cardboard boxes

-woman I interviewed reading fashion magazine

-couple next to me talking again, quietly

6:25

-couple next to me leaving, both have backpacks

6:35

-corner older couple moved out

-man still sketching

-friend with me reading for class

-man with woman and older man looking at phone, still semi-engaged

-family smiling and laughing-man (dad?) with arm around boy (son?)

-family leaving now-lost the 5^th older person

-mom scolding daughter for leaving trash on table

-table next to me, 3 tables at other end, 1 chair open

-2^nd woman I interviewed getting up to leave, also has backpack

6:40

-barista asks to clear 1^st-interviewees dishes

-asks to bring artist paper cup for tea-asks when they close, she responds 7, she wants to do dishes I think

-outlet behind me

6:45

-first interviewee leaves

-friend leaves

-barista walking around cleaning up

-man at the bar, talking to barista

6:50

-woman walks in, asks how long they’re open-doesn’t want to impose

-barista is friendly to her

-woman is probably 20s-30s, earring

-woman leaves after about 5 minutes

6:55

-barista announces closing in 5 minutes

-man walks in a few minutes before closing, urban outfitters bag

-talks to barista-probably friends

-man, woman, older man (family I think) get up to leave, only woman has messenger bag

-woman in seat packs up , laptop plugged in behind seat (takes a few minutes to pack up)-backpack and tote back w/ laptop, holding keys

-man who just walked in sits down across at table, takes off hat

-barista takes trash to back

-barista jokingly puts trash bag on friend

-barista talking about foam levels on capuccions-mentions coffe by design

7:10

-artist leaves

-I leave

-barista’s friend is still sitting at table

-barista is cleaning up

Mental Maps:

mental map 1 — 1. Silvia Robetson, 24, originally from Bulgaria, has lived in Munjoy Hill for 3 years. She met her husband on an exchange program and she is a manager at Stonewall Kitchen. Silvia speaks with a pretty strong accent.

mental map 2 — 2. L. Coplan, 44, has lived in Portland for 15 years. She is a professor at the University of New England in the nursing department with a focus on public health. Ms. Coplan takes the bus to work, a 3-mile commute which takes about an hour. Her kids attend school in Portland and take the city bus to school.

mental map 3.1 — 3. Man, 28, declined his name and email address. He has lived in Portland on Eastern Promenade for five years. He is self-employed, and referenced a dog-sitting gig. He was also drawing during my observation, so he may be a self-employed artist as well. This man drew on both sides of the map, which seemed to be a sign of indecision at first, but he explained that the backside was a continuation of the front. This man labeled the bike path that he commutes on and pointed out various parking lots that he cuts through in Deering Oaks once the bike path ends.

mental map 4 — Man of unknown age and occupation, most likely a laborer of some sort within Portland. His map is focused around his work and commute, including 295 and two parking lots near his work. He also labeled something as “3/4 carpool,” so he might carpool to work with the two friends accompanying him in the ice cream shop.

Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk

Route #1 Bus Stops in Portland, Maine

October 26, 2014 rbarnes 5 Comments

The data that I collected on the transect walk complimented the most beneficial smart city recommendation of a Transportation App that I found from the café ethnography and the 4 mental maps. Throughout the entire walk along the Route #1 Bus Line in Portland, Alex, Karl, and I only saw 2 route #1 busses. This suggests to me that the busses do not stick to schedule particularly well and that there is no simple or quick way to tell whether a bus will show up or not. In addition, the bus stops are just small yellow signs and it was particularly hard to tell where they were sometimes. Furthermore, when looking at the Portland Bus Routes map, there is no information about where the stops actually are, so unless the passenger already knows where the stops are near their desired location, it is kind of a guessing game that makes using public transportation particularly hard for visiting tourists. Oddly enough, Google Maps contains the information about bus route stops but the public maps in Portland do not. That being said, I think that it would be incredibly beneficial for Portland to firstly create more obvious bus stops and provide more information about where they are located. Secondly, I think that Portland should provide more information about the scheduling and wait times for the buses on each route, as they are often unreliable and late. As discussed in some previous posts, this information could all be incorporated into a public transportation application that residents could check on their computers or phones to see as to what the bus schedules are, how long the delays are for, and where the specific stops are.

20141019_161210_resized — Pictures of the only information available on the #1 Bus route available at one stop on the route

Portland City Metro Map of Bus Route #1

Google Map of Portland City Bus Route #1 – does not show exact route but shows where the stops are (if you hover your mouse over the bus stop symbols then a window pops up describing which Metro Routes stop there)

Transect Walk along public bus Route #1 – took account of the locations of all bus stops and Route #1 busses that we saw

206 Congress Street
Congress & Kellog
Congress & North
Congress & Lafayette
Atlantic and Monument
27 on Atlantic Street
Vesper & Eastern Promenade
126 Eastern Promenade
182 Eastern Promenade
Turner & Eastern Promenade
304 Eastern Promenade
East End Community School & North Street
143 North Street
North Street & Quebec Street
Cumberland & North Street

Post #6: Individual Analysis of Ethnography & Mental Maps, Uncategorized

Speckled Ax Cafe Ethnography & Mental Maps

October 26, 2014 rbarnes 5 Comments

From hearing about the lives and policy recommendations from these four Portland residents, I definitely have a different opinion about what the ideal smart city recommendations would be to improve the quality of life and economic sustainability of Portland. I think I was more focused on the larger picture earlier in the semester; I was thinking more about large scale, complicated technological improvements to the city whereas the residents definitely suggested more small-scale improvements such as improvements in public transportation, flood management, and educational opportunities. This disconnect likely results from the fact that we are, as individual researchers living outside the city, dealing with a small pool of samples and have inherently different ideas about the efficiency of the city than local Portland residents do.

This disconnect further brings into light the question as to whether one can make policy or smart city recommendations to Portland while not actually living in Portland – do we understand and know enough about the way that the city ecosystem works to create thoughtful, personalized recommendations for that specific city or are we more qualified to simply talk about and create smart city recommendations for a city in general? Because of this disengagement, I do think that it is very important for us as removed participants to take into consideration more of what the residents recommend than what we ourselves believe. That being said, perhaps it takes a certain amount of distance away from the city in order to fully see its moving parts and the different aspects that can be improved. As one of my participants mentioned, it is difficult to think and move outside of the status quo – it is hard to remove yourself from the whole city and its moving parts to really think about what can be done for the city.

After speaking with these residents, the transect walk, and executing the café ethnography, I would likely say that improvements in public transportation is the most beneficial and feasible smart city solution to most Portland residents and the city as a whole because it is very simple, and therefore easily executed, and would benefit the most people. If Portland could develop a transportation app for mobile devices and computers, residents and would be more likely to use and rely the public transportation system because they would be more educated about what it has to offer and the types of delays that would occur while they are trying to use it – in turn improving their quality of life. Moreover, a transportation app would help the city in terms of being more ecofriendly and economic stability because more residents would choose to use the bus as opposed to drive their own cars around.

Ayriel – Woman, 24, [email protected]

Worked at a corner convenience store – “School is not a priority”
She focused more on the social aspects of the city when drawing her mental map – food, bars, work etc.
Talked a little about the gentrification of Munjoy Hill and how it was affecting the locals – not necessarily as a good or bad thing, just different than what she remembers from before.
She had lived in Portland for two years – was originally from Boston but came to Portland when she was 22.
She gave 2 policy recommendations – firstly, she said that it would be incredibly helpful if there was a phone application that told residents transport schedules/delays and social events that were going on in the city. The second recommendation was that there should be a ‘buffer zone’ for Planned Parenthood – she mentioned that there were religions groups protesting daily outside the clinic and that it made accessing the location and services, and feeling good about accessing the services, really difficult.

Woman, 22, from Canada but moved to Portland 2 years ago after living in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and California throughout her life.

Worked in a Laundromat
She said that she enjoyed South Portland, or “SoPo”, but that the local changes in building and gentrification were making her a little sad. She mentioned that one of her favorite buildings had just been demolished and turned into a parking lot.
She attended Southern Maine Community College while working at the Laundromat
Her recommendation for Portland was that there needed to be better help for the homeless and more education for Portland’s youth through public campaigns and rallies.

Woman, 50 years old, very wise

Has worked at Portland Whole Foods and Lived in Portland since 1995, previously lived all over the east coast – mentioned New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York City.
When I asked her about her opinion of living in Portland, she told me that she and her husband, along with two children, one with autism and one with Asperger’s syndrome, actively moved around and researched the best places to live on the east coast. They decided Portland because of the small size, Portland’s great schooling system and the city’s very local and organic way of life.
She complained about a lot of things – but she was just this type of lady – specifically, that there was incredibly bad high speed interned. She also mentioned that the perception of what the city of Portland does for their residents is not up to par – that she knows and understands that Portland does SO much for their residents in terms of quality of life and schooling, but that residents need to complain less and to be more appreciative of what the city does for them. She said that she had hoped that people in the city would stop just following the status quo – that they need to break out from just going through the motions of living and be more appreciated (I think this may have been because she has been through a lot and was pretty stressed out about her children). She said that she thinks the city would benefit from a more educational campaign that enlightened Portland’s residents about what the city offers and the services that they may not know about already.
She said that her husband was a musician and that they were mostly self-sustaining and local in terms of what they eat and do at home. I asked her if she liked to go to restaurants or any specific shops and she said that they did not really go out much because money was tight. She also said that she has been a florist all her life, that she had started when she was a teenager, and that Whole Foods knew how good she was and they tried to recruit her to work for them a long time before the family moved to Portland. She said that she finally caved and started working for them after finishing two years of homeschooling her kids in the 90s. Now they are both in main stream schools in Portland and doing really well. We talked about boarding schools because she was asking me about my life and she said that her husband and his family came from a lot of money and that he went to boarding school and Boston College and that their family owns a lot of vacation homes at Cape Elizabeth, ME but that they did not own one.
She was an incredibly interesting woman.

Bernie, male, 21

Commutes to Portland from Brunswick, has lived in Brunswick since 2011 but has worked in Portland since May 2014
Originally from Florida
Recommendations: Bernie loved the hills in Portland – he said that he would love to see more hills and differences in heights of the buildings in Portland to add more of a city feel. He also suggested more parking and better flood management. I assume he recommended improvements in parking and flood management because he commutes to Portland for work, as opposed to living in the city full time.

Speckled Ax

5468605 — I sat on the bench side of the table closest to the bar

1:13pm:

Everyone seems to be working really hard – there are some conversations going on but it is really hard to tell what people are saying
The room sort of smells like coffee – but it is a very acidic non-coffee smell.
When I asked them for a large coffee they asked me whether I had a preference as to which coffee I wanted. Obviously I had no idea. They chose well.
Beatles are playing in the background
A really stylish family just walked in and was semi irritated that there was no available table to sit at while they enjoyed their iced coffees.
A creepy guy just walked in with red Red Sox sweatpants
Constant sounds of typing.

food_ax_main — http://portland.thephoenix.com/food/143736-purists-push-coffee-to-its-limits/

1:23 pm:

A whole load of people just walked in and met up with friends that were already sitting inside
It just got a lot louder in here and everyone else is kind of annoyed that they are being disturbed
I do not think these guys are from Portland
- They are part of a show – something memoirs.
These people take their jobs very seriously
There is a mix of people that are clearly just here for the day to do work and groups of people that are in the middle of doing things and are just swinging by for coffee.
There is an adorable older couple sitting across from me holding hands from across the table and just watching everything that is going on around them while giggling to each other about their own conversation. They are drinking lattes – old people always drink lattes!

1:33 pm:

There is a really long line but somehow the café is still relatively calm and quiet
I am beginning to think that I have already drank too much coffee and I have only been here for 20 minutes
It is really sunny outside
There is a ton of clanking and bashing going on from behind the counter
A band of teenagers just walked in wearing beanies and skinny jeans
- I bet they are all art students
- I think they are all judging me for buying and drinking out of a plastic Poland springs water bottle – I am killing the planet obviously.
One of the employees dropped something on the floor – this is the second time he has done this in the past twenty minutes.

speckled-axe-coffee-shop — tripadvisor.com

1:43 pm:

I definitely have drunk way too much coffee.
A lady just walked in and sat down without buying a drink – she must be meeting someone.
Everyone’s shoes are making very squeaky sounds as they walk on the hard wood flooring
There is a dude behind the counter with longer hair than me and it looks awesome.
My legs have gone numb from sitting in the same place for half an hour
The music has changed to classic rock and the baristas are having a very vibrant conversation about scheduling hours for the following week.

1:53 pm:

The same couple as before that were drinking lattes and holding hands are now hotly debating something and using huge hand gestures.
The other lady still has not ordered a drink and is just sitting there on her phone. Unless she has the wifi password from a previous visit, she must just be taking repeated selfies.
Various sounds of coffee machines on repeat in the background
Some girl doing work in the corner booth starts complaining about being a first year teacher.
One of the baristas is talking about what he did on Friday night.
There are loads of cars parked in the street outside – it is a busy day.

2:03 pm:

There is a small line in the shop and some people have left from before and their seats are immediately filled with new customers.
Everyone seems to be ordering cappuccinos – I wonder if the cappuccinos here are amazing….
So many hipsters – ordering Ethiopian coffee…
- There are a lot of nose rings.
I feel like I am in a city – I did not feel like it before but I definitely do now. Why do hipsters do this to me?

hipster-humor-580x870 — some hipster humor courtesy of streetloop.com

2:13 pm:

A girl literally walked in a saw that there were no seats available and walked straight back out again haha
It seems quieter in here now that it was an hour ago – more people though
There is a man drawing pictures on graph paper next to me – when the barista brought him his drink he refereed to her by name which makes me think that he comes here frequently
That lady on her phone without any wifi still has not bought a coffee which just makes me think that she just does not want to be outside in the cold or wants to nap on the Speckled Ax’s wooden tables.
There is a new couple sitting in the same seats as where the older couple were sitting earlier – this couple are having a pretty vibrant conversation but their faces are like six inches away from each other. She is leaning over the entire table and is practically on his side of the table and he leans in too. So adorable. They are probably late thirties.
I cannot tell if anyone has realized that I am just watching them all and have been for the past hour…..

2:23 pm:

Someone left the door open when they went outside and now it is freezing in here
We can hear the sounds from outside now – lots of cars and sounds of wind.
A guy who was sitting down before we even arrived just got up and left
Another creepy guy with his hood up and huge headphones on sat down immediately in his place
This chick on her phone is still on her phone and still has not ordered anything to drink. I can see a dunkin doughnuts cup in her purse – what is going on?
The room smells a little like pizza now that the door is open.

2:33 pm:

A new younger couple sad down in the old and older couple’s table. They are definitely students and are obsessed with each other. It is adorable. I will now be referring to that table as the love nest.
The room now smells like cigarettes because the door is still open. Thank god the owner just closed it! Twas getting very cold in here.
The love nest is getting rowdy.
Lady on her phone still has not looked up apart from a barista asked her if she had ordered a coffee he was meant to deliver to a different customer. She said no.
The music is a little louder than before.
The guy sitting next to me is still drawing on graph paper.

2:43 pm:

Say you love me by Jessie ware is the best song ever
The café seems relatively quiet now
The lovers nest is now empty
The weird lady is still on her phone doing nothing
I am seriously starting to worry as to whether anyone in here knows that there are three students stalking them for two and a half hours this afternoon

2:53 pm:

A new pair of people walked in and walked straight back out again because the seating that was available clearly was not good enough for them
The weird lady is still on her cell phone and has only looked up once in the past hour
The music is a little more mellow than it was earlier
Everyone seems to be busy doing work
A lady just walked in with a push chair and a child who seems like they are on the verge of tears… maybe they do not dig the music.
A man is still drawing maps on graph paper in the booth next to me
The baby is now crying and she is walking him outside of the café

3:03 pm:

The weird lady is still here and still has not ordered anything – I cant tell if she was napping or if she is still waiting for someone
- OMG she just got up – and she sat down again. Perhaps she was just stretching.
There are really loud banging noises coming from behind the counter again
The café is mostly filled with individuals doing work – there is only one pair of people, likely a couple, sitting and actually talking to each other
One of my favorite songs just came on the radio – Semi-Charmed Kind of Life J

3:13 pm:

The people working behind the counter are having a very vivacious conversation about something – lots of laughs
The weird lady is still sitting and on her phone – she just left. After sitting here for two hours and not ordering anything.
The man next to me is still drawing on graphing paper
This playlist is killing it – they are now playing Jumper by third eye blind. So angsty.
The baristas are talking about how expensive bowing shoes are
I just realized that they only have one bathroom which kind of freaks me out
I really like the lighting in the room – the ambiance is stellar.
The baristas are now talking about how bowling balls fit on your fingers with one customer sitting at the bar. It is a little strange. Now talking about local candlepin bowling leagues.
The map man next to me finally finishes his definitely cold cappuccino after an hour and a half.
I start to ponder what would happen if we all get Ebola?
Some hipster just walked in with a skateboard and skinny jeans.

3:23 pm:

Two girls just walked in – they are in their mid twenties and are very loud/happy
A couple just left the booth at the end
Baristas are flirting with the two girls that walked in
- Maybe they already know each other

Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk

Subpar Public Transportation System in Portland

October 26, 2014 andiaye 4 Comments

I conducted my transect walk with Karl and Rachel and we decided to walk through the East end. As we are all in the infrastructure group, we chose to focus on public transportation, and for our route we elected to follow and observe the #1 bus route. As I mentioned in my #6 post, the people of Portland deeply want a better public transportation system, and after conducting this transect walk, I completely agree with the people I talked to about public transportation. Some important and practical changes that should be made our shelters at each bus stop ( this will become very important in the winter time). Currently most stops, except for the last stop, only have signs on post to indicate where the bus will stop such as this one:

Additionally, a sign that contains the time in which the bus will come by is also necessary. This will aid in making the bus system seem much more reliable. The only shelter and bus schedule that Rachel, Karl and I found was on North Street in front of the East Community School.

Further, a smart city suggestion for Portland public transportation is to create an app that contains stop information, maps and updates about the bus (such as whether or not the buses are running behind), similar to the NJ Transit Schedule or MTA map you can find in App form. This will be helpful as more and more people are relying on their smart devices to get them from location to the next.

On our walk around the East Promenade it was pretty residential and as we got closer and closer to the water, the view became more and more unreal. Creating a bike lane could help reduce car traffic and pollution. We did see one on Congress Street, however, it only went for a few blocks until we ran into St. Lawrence Street. City of Portland is very small and can be walked across in just few hours; the city should use this to their advantage and try to turn Portland in to a walking city. A reliable public transportation system is key, as are bike lanes.

After walking this path, I see why many people are frustrated with the public transportation system(or rather lack there of public transportation system). Along with the need for in public WiFi in cafés, free public WiFi in all public spaces would greatly help the bus system. Smart city recommendations along with more practical solutions would vastly improve the quality of life and economic sustainability.

Full Transect Walk:

206 Congress Street (43.663676, -70.250266)
Sheridan and Congress Street (43.664660, -70.249350)
Turned onto Atlantic : Next stop is at Atlantic and Monument Street (43.6653356,-70.2457624)Intersection of Atlantic and Wilson (43.6653512,-70.2453279)
27 Atlantic (43.664808, -70.244244)
Turned onto Eastern Promenade(43.664195, -70.243182): Next stop is at E. Promenade and Vesper (43.665382, -70.241702)
126 Wilson Street and E.Promenade (43.667571, -70.242227)
182 Congress Street and E.Promenade (43.668797, -70.244094)
Turner Street and E.Promenade (43.669604, -70.245639)
304 McAuthur Gardens and E.Promenade (43.670706, -70.249062)
Turned onto North Street: Next stop is at East End Community School on North Street (43.671226, -70.254072)
143 North Street(43.669674, -70.252495)
Intersection of Quebec Street and North Street (43.667417, -70.250051)
Intersection of Cumberland Street and North Street (43.666122, -70.248668)

Post #6: Individual Analysis of Ethnography & Mental Maps

Up Close and Personal View of Portland

October 26, 2014 andiaye 4 Comments

Mental Maps and Café Ethnography Reflections

Gathering mental maps in Portland on a Sunday proved to be a very interesting (and often a bit tedious) time, given that fact that there were not many people out on the street, however, it was completed with success! All four people gave very different perceptions of the city and their data combined gives an insight into all different areas of Portland. In terms of their ideas about smart improvement to the city, all most everyone suggested a better green public transportation system, and interestingly one older man suggested that no changes be made to Portland. “Portland in my mind is one of the most progressive places in the United States and does not need any additions. Cities in the US need to catch up to us,” he said firmly.

As expected, no two maps were remotely the same. The maps ranged from looking into a particular neighborhood all the way to giving a over overview of the entire city…one person even added in Peaks Island, which is where they moved to over the summer. Participants that were older tended to provide less detail and decided to usually focus on landmarks that were around the neighborhood in which they lived and worked in. Younger participants included parks, shopping, and places that they enjoyed going out with friends.

For the café ethnography I went to Speckled Ax on Congress Street. Free public Wifi would be a great addition, due to the fact that almost 90% of the people in the café were always on a smart device and trying to use the internet. You have to ask the Barista for the password, which is okay, but free wifi would be so much more convenient. Interestingly, this café did not serve food… I cannot say I was pleased by the this but it created a very different atmosphere. Most people were doing work and drinking coffee–When people talked, they were either very quiet or did not talk at all.

After going to Portland to complete an ethnography and get four mental maps, I plan on focusing more the public transportation system. Every person I talked to expressed a concern and dislike over the current system that is in place. Tackling public transportation in Portland is going to be a very interesting task because of the city’s small size and current demographic. All of the people I interviewed said they only stayed in the area they lived in and did not stray far from there. In order to revamp the public transportation situation we are going to have to approach this task from a very creative angle. Solutions that work in a place such as New York City is not going to work in Portland.

Mental Maps

1. Female, 22 years old, Store Manager, moved to Portland 2 years ago

2. César, Kathleen, and Elena Britos, currently live on Peaks Island, but used to live in Portland and South Portland, have been in the area for 9 years.

3. Male, 58 years old, Cashier at a convenient store, Playwright/Actor, lived in Portland for 21 years.

4. Female, 28 years old, Cook at a restaurant, likes to stay around the Eastern Promenade, lived in Portland for two years (was tired of “big” city life in Boston)

Complete Ethnography

1:00pm—arrived at speckled Ax with Rachel and Karl. For the most part everyone in the café is pretty young, and looks like they are students that go to maybe USM? 8 of the 12 people in the café are on laptops, 1 person on an ipad, 8 people are girls, 4 people are boys; there is a constant rate of people coming in an out.

1:17—same group of people…not much has changed. The scene is very “hipster”… Most people are still doing work or readings books. The café is a medium sized—has a warm feeling (chocolate colored walls) ambiance is very trendy.

1:27—the demographic is very white—I am the only black person in the café and there has not been a black visitor yet. A group of “trendy” boys just walked in that all kind of look like they walked out of portlandia. Not many couples—only two here right now. Most people seem to be of considerable wealth just from looking at the different brands and kinds of technology that people own. Very packed now. Not the kind of place where people just randomly sit at a table. The café has a small bar at the counter, 4 long tables on one side and 3 smaller round tables along —there is also a small seating area out front but today it kind of cold so no one is outside

1:37—most people are not talking they are either on their phone or doing work. Little spurts of noise come in and out. But for the most part it is a relatively quiet place. The staff that works here is pretty young, one boy and one girls—both are wearing black, are white…maybe they are college students?

1:47— across the street is not very busy—there is a vintage store that looks like it is not open. There aren’t many people on the street. Currently, I am drinking a café au laît but the smell of coffee beans in here is very strong. There are a lot of kinds of coffee that I haven’t heard of that they offer here—my knowledge of coffee is not as advanced

1:57—I am kind of hungry…. However, they do not offer here, just coffee. Not even like juice. Kind of a bummer. There is now an old man sitting next to me doing work. Currently hearing coffee brewing and beans roasting

2:07 –on the phone with my mom —not that many people came through the scene is pretty much the same scene.

2:17—I go to the bathroom and when I come back there seems to be a lot of people wanting to get coffee

2:27—There is a Hispanic woman crouched over her phone at the small table directly in front of me…not quite sure what she is doing because she has no wifi (she did not buy coffee). It’s kind of weird.

2:37—I am starving at this point. Contemplating going somewhere close to get food. Why do they not serve food? I see granola bars but I am allergic to most nuts and fruits and vegetables. Karl just asked the women in front to draw a map for him, smart idea. I am considering asking the man sitting in between Rachel and I to draw a map, but he seems a little busy (he is drawing a lot of measurements on quad paper)

2:47—kind of an older demographic but definitely the same kind people at the café. A lot of people wearing expensive outdoor gear, backpacks and flannels. Everyone is still pretty quiet and keeping to themselves (readings, laptop, work, on the phone). The music is alternative (eg. like the shins or )

2:57—there is no one on the street right now really. Someone walks by like every 3 mins. Not many people are stopping to look into store (it is kind of cold outside); just saw someone run by; this is the first time 2 men passed by who looked like they were more from a lower socio economic group. Mom just came is with her baby—there is like an equal distribution of men to women. The music is much more upbeat and loud than this morning.

3:07—Very chatty in here. Some one is on their phone, and both people on either side of me are talking. Someone is playing music on his or her phone. People are doing work, but it’s not as intense of a scene as earlier. Much more friendly environment I feel for people that are walking into the café or looking through the window. A lot of men are in here. Currently Rachel, me and another girl are the only women here. We are also clearly the youngest in here by maybe like 10/15 years.

3:17—Things on the street just got very busy. There is a large group of people standing in front of the store and looking in. Things have quieted down in the café. Just got an intense smell of coffee beans and the large group of people do not come in

3:27—not much has changed from the last 10 mins. The café is kind of empty right now and more people are beginning to leave. A lot more people at the bar

3:37—leaving. Feels much more like lively. More people are talking and the environment is more conducive for conversation. A lot of people are talking and it now smells like a mixture of cleaning products and coffee.

Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk

Small Changes Make Big Differences In Portland Parks

October 26, 2014 eszuflit 5 Comments

While I have been making more abstract smart city recommendations up to this point, the transect walk revealed specific ways in which small changes could greatly improve existing public space. As I mentioned in Post #6, there is a lot of existing green space in Portland, but its structure or lack of amenities make its use less appealing. Changes including more seating, more interesting or inviting landscaping, modifying the parks’ interaction with the surrounding environment, and introducing more cultural programming, will render more thoughtful and usable spaces. This is consistent with our findings from the mental maps and cafe ethnography exercise. More attention should be made to the type of amenities that are in demand. For example, the Western promenade was used almost exclusively by dog walkers and joggers during our transect walk. A dog park and more water fountains (we only saw one), would better serve these populations. Wifi would also be an amenity that could invite increased use. More specific recommendations are included in the notes below.

Transect Walk:

Jackie, Emma and I did a transect walk through the West End beginning on Pine Street. We were looking specifically at public seating, but came up with more recommendations along the way.

While walking down Pine Street, we saw very little public seating. There were however, features that could have been multi-use, doubling as seating. One being a collection of stone pillars that made up a fence:

We also noticed the interesting mixed-use of buildings. Many large mansions had been converted to multi-unit apartments or business spaces. It was unclear whether some of these spaces were public space or not.

When we arrived at the Western Promenade, we noted how its featurelessness made it an uninviting space to spend time in. Despite being surrounded by many attractive historic buildings in a residential neighborhood with few other park options, the strip seemed underutilized. The sidewalk was in great disrepair.

We saw six benches along the sidewalk, but they were also in poor condition. These were the only benches in the park, and they were facing away from the park into the overgrown slope leading from the promenade (see photo above). This was the least stimulating view in the whole park, as you could not see the bay or the park. The benches should be moved to face inward, or the overgrowth should be cut to reveal views of the bay. We also thought there should be more paths and benches and picnic tables in the green space, inviting more central use, as well as landscaping and attractive plantings. There was great potential in the space, but at the current moment, it was simply a buffer between houses and a walk to nowhere.

As we passed Maine Medical Center, we saw three blue benches in an ally leading to a back doorway. Signs above the benches said “No Smoking.” I do not mean to advocate for smoking, but that is the only thing I could imagine anyone ever wanting to use those benches for. They were outside a building in a back corner facing a wall.

Seating would better serve the public inside of the hospital, in a courtyard, or facing the street, as it would be accessible and more visually stimulating. We found some good seating of this variety a couple steps further along Bramhall St. The low stonewall was a great height for sitting and accessible to the street. There were also benches in the bus stop shelter, though the area could have had more street lighting to ensure safety for bus passengers waiting at night.

(Photo by Emma Chow)

We continued down Bramhall St. to Congress, where we saw little public seating or public space at all. At the intersection of Bramhall and Congress, there was a small greenspace with three benches. There was little space for large-scale activity in the greenspace, but the benches were well-placed for someone who wanted to take a moment to rest or watch activity on the street.

(Photo by Jackie Sullivan)

We went down Deering Avenue to Deering Oaks Park. The park has significant open grass for recreational and community activities, and a central pond. Similar to the Western Promenade however, it felt less a place to spend time, and more a nice place to “simply pass through.” A lot of this had to do with the physical features – or lack thereof. There were eight benches along the southern path of the park, but even this would only be enough to seat about 25 people – nothing near the desired demand for a large park on a nice day.

Surrounding the path were large open spaces of grass with scattered trees. To encourage greater use of the area, we thought there should either be a larger open grass space that could accommodate sports, or more intimate features like picnic tables, a gazebo, or small landscaping features. Otherwise, the area was too expansive and did not feel inviting.

In addition, the park should have a physical, or at least psychological, barrier between the park and the street. Park Avenue and State Street, the streets surrounding the portion of the park we walked, have heavy, noisy traffic. The park feels too exposed to these elements, making it feel simultaneously vulnerable to the dangers of traffic and an uninviting island. Hedges or a fence would make a large part of the periphery more inviting.

The areas between State Street and Forest Avenue do not even feel like a continuation of the park because they are so sectioned off by larger streets. There is some pleasant landscaping in the middle, but it has no seating, rendering it yet another park that is uninviting to lingerers. More seating, as well as varied, landscaping, would make an immense difference in this part of the park.

Portland does not suffer from a lack of public space or greenspace, but it could do a lot to improve the existing space and make it more appealing to visitors. Small changes could really get the city moving in the right direction – repaired sidewalks, improved landscaping, small amenity changes for the target audience of the park, and most importantly, improved seating, would make the Western Promenade and Deering Oaks Park much more enjoyable.

GPS Coordinates for Public Seating:

Pine Street Stone Blocks: 43o39’02.15″N; 70o16’09.10″W

Western Promenade Bench 1 (WPB1): 43o38’58.52″N; 70o16’34.65″W

WPB2: 43o38’57.33″N; 70o16’34.62″W

WPB3: 43o38’56.53″N; 70o16’34.73″W

WPB4: Missing coordinates (equidistant between 3 and 5).

WPB5: 43o38’54.50″N; 70o16’34.15″W

WPB6: 43o39’04.52″N; 70o16’34.98″W

Blue Hospital Benches: 43o39’07.83″N; 70o16’31.52″W

Stone Hospital Ledge: 43o39’08.62″N; 70o16’29.70″W

Hospital Bus Stop Bench: 43o39’08.95″N; 70o16’30.14″W

Congress St Bench 1: 43o39’14.78″N; 70o16’21.44″W

Congress St Bench 2: 43o39’14.44″N; 70o16’21.02″W

Congress St Bench 3: 43o39’15.00″N; 70o16’21.27″W

Deering Oaks Park Bench 1 (DOP1): 43o39’25.03″N; 70o16’20.17″W

DOP2: 43o39’25.32″N; 70o16’19.84″W

DOP3: Missing coordinate (equidistant between 2 and 4).

DOP4: 43o39’26.10″N; 70o16’15.64″W

DOP5: 43o39’26.22″N; 70o16’14.57″W

DOP6: 43p39’26.48″N; 70o16’12.78″W

DOP7: 43o39’26.84″N; 70o16’11.52″W

DOP8: 43o39’27.22″N; 70o16’10.67″W

Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk

Repurposing and Revitalizing in the East End

October 26, 2014 mwolf 4 Comments

I looked into the revitalization of old buildings. Any structure that appeared to have an authentic skeleton or base, but with obviously new construction or renovations was marked on the map. I found that most of the spaces I saw on my transect walk were restaurants and businesses that necessitated redesigned spaces. I chose not to walk in the commercial section of the Old Port because this type of building structure (store at ground level with apartments above) is very common, but difficult to distinguish between new and original construction. I came upon this idea originally because of a real estate office off of Forest Street that had new construction within the original building. I think this is a fantastic and fascinating use of existing infrastructure because it requires less materials and waste, while revitalizing the look (and often purpose) of the building. I also found that many houses on the Eastern Prom have undergone repairs to make the expensive houses worth more. There was one in-progress right now at 130 Eastern Prom – a mere shell of the former structure, ready to be retrofit with new siding, insulation, etc. Although the direct purpose of the building as housing has not changed, many of the houses on the Eastern Prom have been split into multiple units. I foresee great possibilities for this repurposing and revitalizing in Portland, a city that tries to stick with its heritage, but yearns to progress into the future. I see parallels to many cities, my hometown of Moline, IL included, because of space limitations. In NYC we saw how space limitations drove development up; but NYC was obsessed with NEW, BETTER, DIFFERENT! Portland and many other cities don’t have the capital, capabilities, or desire to follow that building plan, and should think instead about how to reuse existing infrastructure. This idea is being used in a different context in NYC with the free Wi-Fi stemming from existing phone booths. The next step is larger infrastructure. Bowdoin College, in fact, has been following this plan for years; Studzinski Hall is repurposed from the old swimming pool, Smith Union is repurposed from the old track, the side of the Chapel houses the McKeen Center for the Common Good. From a purely financial view, repurposing old buildings costs less; but more than that it preserves the history of the space (a key reason Bowdoin likes the practice).

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arobbins	bmiller
cvillarl	dsanchez
echow	edupliss
esibinga	eszuflit
hrafkin	imay
jibsen	jsulliva
jwatt	kmushegi
kreinhar	lpaniagu
lwang	mwolf
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The Digital Image of the City (Fall 2014)

Post 7: Following Bus Route 1 in the East End

Dobra Tea Ethnography + “Bougies” and being “Classed” out of Portland

West End – Best End, Mental Maps of Portland and Cafe Ethnography

Quaint Café to Peppy Ice Cream Shop: An Ethnography and a Wide Range of Mental Cartographers

Route #1 Bus Stops in Portland, Maine

Speckled Ax Cafe Ethnography & Mental Maps

Subpar Public Transportation System in Portland

Up Close and Personal View of Portland

Small Changes Make Big Differences In Portland Parks

Repurposing and Revitalizing in the East End

Digital and Computational Studies INTD2430 with Jen Jack Gieseking