Category Archives: Public Space

Final Research Paper, Public Space

WalkPortland: Enhancing the Pedestrian Experience in Portland, ME

WalkPortland: Enhancing the Pedestrian Experience in Portland, ME

 

Research question

Portland, Maine has a parking problem in its Downtown area. Residents, commuters, and tourists cite the parking situation as a detriment to the overall experience of the city. The city government is aware of the issue and has been working to modify the physical and legal structure regarding downtown parking to increase efficiency and enhance people’s experience of Portland. In my own research, I noticed a general sense of dissatisfaction with the physical capacity of downtown parking, but also a seemingly unnecessary reliance on cars for city as small in population and area as Portland.

The solution I propose is an extension of the city’s stated commitment in the 1991 Comprehensive Plan to “understand and enhance the physical framework of the built environment to assure a livable, pedestrian-oriented, human-scaled downtown.”[1] It would take the form of a mapping app, which would make parking information readily available and also serve as a legible, pedestrian-oriented map of Portland. A key feature of the app would be 5- and 10-minute walk radius maps that would hopefully help to reconnect Portlander’s perception of the city’s size and walkability to its actual area. The app would be supplemented by physical maps in downtown Portland, which increase the accessibility of this resource and also serve as advertisement for the app.

 

 

Approach to the common good for the city

The common good in the city rests in large part in the interactions between city government and the people it serves. A government that seeks to understand and respect the will of its people is one that seeks to act for the common good. This definition is cultural; it has to do with the comfortable maintenance and development of existing culture in the city. Portland’s existing policy regarding its Downtown states the city’s desire to develop the space in the best interests of the people, while being careful to maintain the existing culture and identity.[2]

Including systematic goals in writing towards respecting the people who occupy and create Downtown helps to keep “the common good” something that citizens help to define. City changes that do not align with the popular idea of common good are held accountable by town documents and goals such as that to “preserve and strengthen the unique identity and character of the Downtown.”[3]

It is also important, however, to question the existing structures and create plans and policy that keep in mind those for whom Downtown’s existing structure is not ideal, and who might prefer to see Downtown’s “unique identity” move in a different direction.

 

Approach to the smart city

In the age of growing populations and shrinking resources, the Smart city is efficient, safe, sustainable, and adaptable. The use of new technology is not explicit in this definition, but often the ideas or solutions that meet this description make use of new technologies. In terms of adaptability, too, the capacity of an existing structure to expand spontaneously or over time as needed speaks to its continuing usefulness and relevance; often this means that the structure is technologically updated.

In Against the Smart City, Adam Greenfield raises the important concern regarding the “seamlessness” with which technology is integrated into smart cities. He criticizes devices that are “bolt-ons rather than anything designed into the urban fabric itself ab initio.”[4] Portland’s commitment to maintaining the existing structure and identity of the Downtown presents somewhat of a challenge in utilizing new technologies in that space, but it also provides a foundation from which to build—one that ensures that the whatever solutions are put in place operate as a part of the city, rather than as an addition to it.

Greenfield also criticizes solutions in which “the collection and analysis of data [is] enshrined at the heart of someone’s conception of municipal stewardship.”[5] This hearkens back to the idea of the common good, bringing important concerns of privacy and security into the mix as the daily act of citizenship becomes a source of data-production. Because of its small size but strong sense of urbanity and community, Portland could be an excellent model of smart city technology employed with the common good very much in mind.

Besides maintaining thought of the common good, another important factor in helping smart cities to retain their “city-ness” is the concern of technological ubiquity. A city cannot be built only on smartphones, touchscreens, and Wi-Fi; it functions through human interactions. Tony Hiss[6], Guy Debord[7], and Henry Grabar[8] all speak to the place-driven, human quality of cities, especially through Hiss’s idea of “simultaneous perception” as one of the core qualities that makes a city a city. Almost as a modern day defense of Debord’s derive as a way of experiencing that quality of the city, Grabar points out, “The reverie of wandering, on foot or on wheels, can’t be calculated by an algorithm or prescribed by an app.”[9] However, technology can be used to enhance and facilitate human interactions and understandings of place, rather than make that understanding “unnecessary.” Hiss, Debord, and Grabar’s ideas are of great importance in the unique experience of being in a city, and it is possible to make them present in a smart city, as well. In terms of the WalkPortland app, keeping the app’s focus on getting people out of the shielded bubbles of their cars and out into the city is a way of using technology to promote and facilitate human interaction in the city.

 

Literature review

Andres Duany and Jeff Speck view “smart” not only as the utilization of new technology and design, but also as the return to some older forms of the same. Their book The Smart Growth Manual highlights “walkability” as a key feature of a smart city’s successful future. Unlike their parents’ generation, millennials (people born between approximately 1983 and 2000)[10] have tended not to buy their own cars, opting instead for a more walkable city life. And the “if you build it, they will come,” policy applies here: 64% of people first identify and move to a city they like, and then seek a job there.[11] Key to creating that desirable city image is “walkability.” Duany and Speck encourage planners to

“foster ‘walkable,’ close-knit neighborhoods: These places offer not just the opportunity to walk—sidewalks are a necessity—but something to walk to, whether it’s the corner store, the transit stop, or a school. A compact, walkable neighborhood contributes to peoples’ sense of community because neighbors get to know each other, not just each other’s cars”[12]

 This community is the place for a city’s life, culture, and social capital to be created, learned, and reproduced.

In keeping with Greenfield’s concept of urban and technological seamlessness, Duany and Speck also advocate for “[taking] advantage of existing community assets: from local parks to neighborhood schools to transit systems, public investments should focus on getting the most out of what we’ve already built.”[13] One method they cite for encouraging people to leave their cars and walk is to make that the most economical option by imposing higher parking fees. This method incentivizes people to use public transportation or walk.

However, this solution raises its own set of concerns about who then gets to benefit from walkability. As Sarah Marusek discusses at length in Parking Politics, higher municipal fees such as parking costs have disproportionate effects between socioeconomic classes, and in this way parking becomes yet another way of separating those who have the right to the city and those who have the means to the city.[14] Curbside parking, an equalizer in the world of private and pay-to-stay parking lots, can be restrictive in ways that make driving possible for some and impossible for others. Marusek also cites a case study in which parking rights are connected to whether or not people can call themselves “residents.” At Amherst College, “from September through May, city streets are strictly reserved for town residents who have a town-sanctioned parking permit. This restriction is in place to keep visitors, i.e. students, from claiming parking spaces and leaving no place for ‘rightful’ residents to park during the school year.”[15] While the students reside there most of the year, they are not eligible to be considered residents of the town.

The takeaway from both Duany and Speck’s work and Marusek’s work is that urban planning innovations— smart or otherwise— have fallout of many different forms, affecting different groups of people in predictable and unpredictable ways. They key role of government in these situations is to respond not only to problems in the city but to their solutions as well.

The purpose behind the WalkPortland app is twofold: to decrease car use and car presence in Downtown Portland, and to help people to enjoy the city on foot. The decrease in car traffic may already be underway. A November 2014 article from the Portland Press Herald reported that in Maine, the populations renouncing their cars include not just the millennials that Jeff Speck cites, but Maine’s aging population as well. “At both ends of the age spectrum, people increasingly want to live near restaurants, shops, and cultural amenities.” [16] A more pedestrian-friendly Portland and pedestrian-oriented technology to accompany it would benefit multiple populations.

However, the response to the city’s varying plans to show less privilege to cars and autos is not totally positive. Portland’s plan to consolidate and shrink the Franklin arterial, thereby “[reconnecting] side streets and [improving] pedestrian and bicycle access”[17] is seen by some as a danger to the city, one that “shuts down the life blood of commerce, transit and mobility… [because] if people can’t drive here, they’ll go somewhere else.”[18] This is a serious concern to the city of Portland, which is “the financial and commercial capital of Maine.”[19] If the attempt to take cars out of Portland comes too quickly or before people are ready for it, the effects could have serious consequences for Maine’s economy.

In his lecture “The Walkable City,” Jeff Speck cites not only the enormous health benefits of walkability, but its economic, environmental, safety, and citywide benefits as well. The “inactivity borne of landscape” has more effect on obesity in America than does diet.[20] There is a direct link between the prevalence of asthma and auto exhaust emissions in urban areas.[21] The benefits of walkability are not just individual; it also fosters community and drives people to shop and buy more locally, making their communities wealthier from the inside.

And yet, the car and parking problem in Downtown Portland remains, a strain on the environment (among other things), and a major inconvenience. Apps for increased urban convenience have a large and growing market, and WalkPortland would be one of many attempts to help people navigate a city in a specific manner. The online design and tech magazine Web Urbanist ran an article listing thirteen interactive city maps, which ranged from the frivolity of a smartphone-supported citywide Pacman game called MapAttack, to the everyday usefulness of the widely popular app ParkMe, which locates open parking spots. The goal, in general, is to make the city more conveniently and easily accessible so that people can get what they want from it, when they want it. “Apps for smartphones, tablets and other gadgets are making big urban centers feel smaller than ever, making it easy to catch a ride, find cheap eats, check out street art and make new friends.”[22]

 

Methods

Input from actual Portland residents was immensely helpful in identifying parking as a major concern for the city, and in gauging people’s conception of the city’s size and walkability. I conducted interviews with 3 residents of Portland and 1 commuter into the city, keeping notes of how exactly they phrased their thoughts on the city. I also collected one mental map of the city from each participant. For my own perception of the city’s size and walkability, the time I spent interviewing and a transect walk to the West End were both helpful. I used QGIS to measure distances in Portland to gauge the perception of walkability against the actual distance.

I created a simple base map of Portland, focusing on the Downtown area. I included data layers from the City of Portland that I thought would be helpful in creating a legible map for pedestrians, including of course major roads and sidewalks, but also building outlines (gray), open space (green), the boundaries of “Downtown,” (pink) historic landmarks (yellow and blue), and Metro bus routes (light blue lines). [Figure 1, Figure 2]

I concentrated on the scale of the map, and decided to keep my approach to a specific neighborhood of Portland, since my hope was to take Duany and Speck’s advice to “plan in increments of complete neighborhoods.”[23] Building outlines are an unusual inclusion in a city map, but at a pedestrian scale this seemed to make the map much more easily legible to its user. I wanted to create a map that was visually legible, appropriately scaled, and included more than just tourist attractions or sponsored locations and advertisements.

I also created a map showing the transportation network available around Portland (below). The components shown are the interstate (black), the Metro bus line (orange), the Portland Explorer tourist bus route (red), and railroad tracks (dotted black line). Once again, downtown is shown to help understand the relationship between Portland’s transportation network and its commercial center (pink). With a closer zoom, it becomes apparent that in fact Downtown is serviced more satisfactorily by Portland’s tourist bus (red) than by its city bus (orange). [Figure 3, Figure 4]

 

Findings

Of the four Portlanders I interviewed, three drove cars in the city. Each one of the three cited parking as source of major frustration in the city, calling it “awful,”[24] “a real difficulty” especially for those who work in Old Port,[25] and a source of dissatisfaction. Another complaint was that the city feels very much geared towards tourists, rather than residents.

Interviewees cited the small size of the city as a major upside, saying that is was “the perfect amount of city,”[26] that they enjoyed “the small town feel” and the fact that “people know you,”[27] and that the city has great, “thriving,” energy but tends to slow down by around 10 pm.[28] Each map depicted the neighborhood that the participant was most familiar with, as opposed to showing the whole peninsula or greater Portland area.

Using QGIS, I measured the length of Portland’s Downtown (as defined by the City of Portland), at .45 miles along the waterfront, and closer to .65 miles along Cumberland Avenue. The total area of the Downtown is about .25 square miles. These are all walkable distances for most adults.

 

Reflections / Discussion

My proposed solution is an app called WalkPortland. The app serves two main purposes. The more minor of the two is as an information source detailing where parking is available in the city. The second is as a pedestrian-oriented map application.

The parking feature of WalkPortland does not aim to make car usage and parking more convenient in Portland, or to function on a real-time basis like apps such as ParkMe[29]. While increased convenience may be a result of the app, the goal of the project is rather to have residents park their cars outside of Downtown Portland and walk to their destination, thereby reducing automobile congestion in the Downtown area (or other parts of the city) and making that a safer and more pleasant pedestrian and bicycle zone. Rather than functioning as a real-time update system for finding parking, which fosters a sense of competition and “I need to be as close as possible” that contribute to making car travel a problem in cities, the app would merely have an informational list and static map of pay lots, municipal parking and curbside parking available throughout the city. However, I anticipate that a ParkMe-like function would be highly requested.

The main focus of the app, aimed at reconnecting Portlanders’ conception of the city’s size to its actual size, is highlighted 5- and 10-minute walk radius bubbles. The goal of this feature is provide an accessible and understandable measure of Portland’s existing walkability by virtue of its scale. This will hopefully encourage people to consider walking as a viable means of transportation in the city, even across it. Using the standard average human walking speed of 3.1 miles per hour, simple calculations lead us to .25- and .5-mile radii, respectively.[30] In Portland, this translates to the entire length of the Downtown area that is walkable within 10 minutes.

Included on the app would be features important to pedestrians. Most map apps are created for car travelers and have features about traffic and toll-free routes, and leave out helpful and even crucial pedestrian information. The pedestrian map of WalkPortland would include leisure spots and amenities such as coffee shops, public restrooms, restaurants, playgrounds, grocery stores, and green space. It would also include layers that were of particular interest to pedestrian comfort and safety, such as sidewalks, street lighting,[31] public seating, bike lanes and paths, and indoor and outdoor public spaces.

To increase the accessibility of this resource so that it is not limited to those with a smartphone or an Internet connection, the maps can be made into site specific, physical, stationary maps. These maps would function the same as the app, but mapping 5- and 10- minute walk radii from their locations. These maps would serve as advertisement not only for the WalkPortland app, but also for the local businesses they would highlight. I anticipate that the primary audience for this app would be at first largely young, city-savvy smartphone users, and Portland tourists. My hope is that the app would be useful enough that anyone local might find want to have it to enhance their pedestrian experience of the city.

The WalkPortland app is an extension of existing ideas, values, and goals that the City of Portland has already set out. The app updates the technological realization of previously stated goals to help bring Portland closer to its aim of making the city more pedestrian friendly and the Downtown less congested with automobiles. Portland’s commitment to Complete Street practice and principles includes providing resources to make the pedestrian experience as pleasant and well-resourced as the driver’s.[32]

 

Conclusion

The WalkPortland app will help Portland drivers to get out of their cars, and it will help Portland pedestrians to get the most out of their walking experience of the city. This app will help people to think locally, and to consider walking the powerful tool that it can be in Portland. The benefits of walking are, especially in this context, manifold: to Duany and Speck this experience of the city is environmentally sustainable, community fortifying, and helpful to the literal health of the nation; to Debord, Hiss, and Grabar, the pedestrian experience of the city is of intense personal and cultural value to the city and its inhabitants; to the Portland City Council pedestrian traffic represents the alleviation of a serious congestion problem in the city’s commercial center; to Portland residents and commuters the pedestrian route is a powerful and less stressful way of understanding and moving about their city, while simultaneously helping them to engage more actively in its vibrant and thriving city life.

 

[1] City Council of the City of Portland ME, “Downtown Vision: A Celebration of Urban Living And A Plan For The Future of Portland – Maine’s Center for Commerce And Culture,” May 9, 1991. Accessed online December 14, 2014. http://www.portlandmaine.gov /DocumentCenter/Home/View/3376, 4.

[2] Ibid., 7.

[3] Ibid., 8.

[4] Adam Greenfield, Against the Smart City (Do projects, 2013), Kindle edition, chap. 1.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Tony Hiss, “Simultaneous Perception,” in The Experience of Place (New York: Vintage, 1991), 10.

[7] Guy Debord, “Theory of the Dérive and Definitions,” in The People, Place and Space Reader, edited by Jen Jack Gieseking, et al. (New York: Routledge, 2014), 65.

[8] Henry Grabar, “Smartphones and the Uncertain Future of ‘Spatial Thinking’,” CityLab from The Atlantic, September 9, 2014, accessed September 15, 2014, http://www.citylab.com/tech/2014/09/smartphones-and-the-uncertain-future-of-spatial-thinking/379796.

[9] Grabar, “Smartphones and the Uncertain Future.”

[10] Marina Schauffler, “Sea Change: Living without cars a good sign of the times,” Portland Press Herald, November 3, 2014, accessed December 15, 2014, http://www.pressherald.com/2014/11/03/sea-change-living-without-cars-a-good-sign-of-the-times.

[11] Andres Duany and Jeff Speck, The Smart Growth Manual (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010), 168.

[12] Duany and Speck, The Smart Growth Manual, Appendix 1.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Sarah Marusek, Politics of Parking: Rights, Identity, and Property (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2012), 30.

[15] Ibid., 32

[16] Schauffler, “Sea Change: Living without cars a good sign of the times.”

[17] Kelly Bouchard, “Opportunity, concern seen in Portland’s plan for Franklin Street,” Portland Press Herald, October 1, 2014, accessed December 15, 2014, http://www.pressherald.com/2014/10/01/opportunity-concern-are-seen-in-arterial-plans.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Jeff Speck, “The Walkable City” (Ted Talk, TEDCity 2.0, September 2013) Accessed online December 14, 2014, http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_speck_the_walkable_city?language=en, 7:35

[21] ibid., 12:41.

[22] Steph, “Urban Apps: 13 Interactive City Maps, Tools & Guides,” Web Urbanist, accessed December 15, 2014, http://weburbanist.com/2013/07/15/urban-apps-13-interactive-city-maps-tools-guides.

[23] Duany and Speck, The Smart Growth, Appendix 1.

[24] Josh (26, Portland resident), interview by Eva Sibinga, October 13, 2014.

[25] Brittney (23, Hollis, ME resident), interview by Eva Sibinga, October 13, 2014.

[26] Josh, interview.

[27] Brittney, interview.

[28] Marina, (22, Portland resident), interview by Eva Sibinga, October 13, 2014.

[29] www.parkme.com

[30] http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Walking.html

[31] This idea came from Eileen Johnson, Lecturer in Environmental Studies at Bowdoin College.

[32] City of Portland. Council Order 125, “Complete Streets Policy,” December 17, 2012. Accessed online December 16, 2014. http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/ documents/cs/policy/cs-me-portland-policy.pdf.

 

 

Bibliography

 

Bouchard, Kelly. “Opportunity, concern seen in Portland’s plan for Franklin Street.” Portland Press Herald, October 1, 2014. Accessed December 15, 2014. http://www.pressherald.com/2014/10/01/opportunity-concern-are-seen-in-arterial-plans.

 

City of Portland. Council Order 125. “Complete Streets Policy,” December 17, 2012. Accessed online December 16, 2014. http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/ documents/cs/policy/cs-me-portland-policy.pdf.

 

Debord, Guy. “Theory of the Dérive and Definitions.” In The People, Place and Space Reader, edited by Jen Jack Gieseking, William Mangold, Cindi Katz, Setha Low and Susan Saegert, 65-69. New York: Routledge, 2014 [1958].

 

Duany, Andres, and Jeff Speck. The Smart Growth Manual. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

 

Grabar, Henry. “Smartphones and the Uncertain Future of ‘Spatial Thinking.” CityLab from The Atlantic, September 9, 2014. Accessed September 15, 2014. http://www.citylab.com/tech/2014/09/smartphones-and-the-uncertain-future-of-spatial-thinking/379796.

 

Greenfield, Adam. Against the Smart City. 1.3 edition. Do projects, 2013. Kindle edition.

 

Hiss, Tony. “Simultaneous Perception.” In The Experience of Place. 3-26. New York: Vintage, 1991.

 

Marusek, Sarah. Politics of Parking: Rights, Identity, and Property. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2012.

 

Shauffler, Marina. “Sea Change: Living without cars a good sign of the times.” Portland Press Herald, November 3, 2014. Accessed December 15, 2014. http://www.pressherald.com/2014/11/03/sea-change-living-without-cars-a-good-sign-of-the-times.

 

Speck, Jeff. “The Walkable City.” Ted Talk, TEDCity 2.0, Filmed September 2013. Accessed online December 14, 2014. http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_speck_the _walkable_city?language=en.

 

Steph. “Urban Apps: 13 Interactive City Maps, Tools & Guides.” Web Urbanist. Accessed December 15, 2014. http://weburbanist.com/2013/07/15/urban-apps-13-interactive-city-maps-tools-guides.

Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk, Public Space

Who Uses Portland’s Public Space?

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The clear indication from my transect walk was that Portland’s smart city solutions must include some help for the homeless in Portland. I walked down Preble Street to the western section of East Bayside, and my walk I looked out for how people were interacting with public space. This included the various forms of use and disuse of public space, as well as use of unintended public space. I found that use of public space turned from casual to necessary use as I passed from the business and tourist district into a more depressed area of Portland. There was a very distinct change, approximately located along Congress Street as an edge. In terms of my smart city recommendations, I think they must incorporate solutions that provide housing, jobs, and support for the city’s homeless. How this factors into parking is something I am still pondering.

Each green link in this section will open to the map location in a new window. The walk was as follows: I began at the small public space at the intersection of Middle Street with Market and Exchange. Eight fairly rough looking people of a few different races were occupying most of the space, skateboarding and chatting with one another. They had two pit bull terriers with them. Across Exchange Street, right outside Bard Coffee, three people were using a smaller grassy area with benches as the backdrop for a photo shoot. A pair of young women and one lone young woman sat drinking coffee, on benches facing the street. At the corner of Middle Street and Temple Street, in the large plaza centered on The Lobsterman statue outside Nickelodeon Cinemas, three older-looking Caucasian men sat on three benches. One was looking at his phone, one was reading a book, and one watched the people and plaza around him.

Outside the Post Office on Temple Street, there was a large and abandoned plaza. It was filled with low walls to sit on, and contained a fair amount of greenery. This was an example of a possible public space that lay totally unutilized by anyone. On Congress Street near the corner of Congress and Temple, the small open garden of the First Parish Church was also unused. While this space is technically private, I included it, as there was a sign on the door inviting the public to respectfully use the space.

Walking down ­Elm Street, I saw several homeless-looking people using the overhang of the Public Library as a place to lounge comfortably in the shade. They may have been waiting for some form of transportation, as the building is right across from the bus depot. Further down and one street west, thirteen people were sitting on benches outside Preble Street Resource Center. Farther down Preble Street, a Caucasian man and a woman sat on the step outside the veteran housing building, speaking to each other. Another block down, two middle-aged men of color sat eating cake on the step at the entrance of a small green public-looking space.

At the corner of Elm and Somerset, nine people sat along the edge of a large, sort of grassy, vacant space. Behind them was the parking lot to Trader Joe’s and Walgreens. I walked around the large space towards the Walgreens, and passed a lone African American man sitting on a bench. He appeared homeless, and got up to sit in the Walgreens parking lot after I passed him.

At this point, I turned around and went back up the hill, up Alder Street. At the intersection of Alder and Oxford Street, I passed four young people standing around a streetlight at the corner of an empty lot. They were talking and laughing and I had the sense that they lived in the surrounding houses. For some reason (Apple Maps), my last two data points did not map correctly and I am not sure where they were geographically. The last things I passed were some unused benches, and then a nice bench on some cobblestones, where one man was sitting.

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

Views of Portland from a Firsthand Perspective

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For my mental maps, I interviewed two middle aged males (around 50 years old), one 30 year old male, and a woman in her early 20s. They all lived and worked in Portland, though the two older males lived on the border of Portland.

It was interesting to find exactly how much one can tell about people and a city from their mental maps. For example, the two older men both included University of Southern Maine (where they were taking classes), Starbucks (a frequented café), and Hannaford (where they buy cat food and groceries). These landmarks suggest a typical student or settled down family in an urban area. Compared to this, the notable landmarks of the 30-year-old barista at Coffee by Design were good bars, gentrified areas, and coffee shops. And, the woman who worked at Love Cupcakes (a cupcake truck) drew at the places the truck travels to, along with a map that focused more on the streets of Portland (probably because she drives through the areas for work).

I interviewed three of these people at Coffee By Design on India Street, where I did my ethnography. Though the neighborhood did not seem very touristy, the people coming to the café seemed like affluent people with low diversity. Since it was raining for the majority of my time at the café, most of the people who came inside were meeting people, or they at least stayed for a while.

The people I spoke to all seemed to agree on one thing: Portland has a lot of areas that need work. The three men I interviewed stressed the pros and cons of the gentrifying neighborhoods to the extent that Sean drew them on his map and Peter made pretty clear distinctions between the neighborhoods. It was really interesting to see how the residents (of 20 to 30 years) perceived the changes in Portland and how the changing city affected their lives.

However, the technological suggestions did not reflect on the gentrification, but more at the infrastructure of the city. Public transportation was mentioned every time and overall, the request that Portland become a more accessible city. Whether the suggestions were adding a more functional bus line, rebuilding a trolley system, or creating parking apps that list free spots around the city, it was agreed that Portland needed to improve its accessibility.

Another improvement was free public Wi-Fi. With a growing need to always be connected, public Wi-Fi would definitely be a realistic addition to the city. Portland is large enough that there is a demand for public Wi-Fi, yet it is small enough that this suggestion is manageable. Additionally, a few people suggested creating better parks and overall, more green spaces in Portland. All the suggestions from the people I interviewed would be good ideas to help improve the city of Portland, though many of them are more basic suggestions that do not actually involve technology. However, they provide the necessary structure for a growing city, which would then allow for more technological improvement afterward.

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Hannah:
Age 23, white female, lives on High and Sherman for over a year
Technology Improvements: Free public Wi-Fi, all 2-way streets, some sort of parking map that shows occupied spots (apparently, it already exists for certain cities)

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Sean:
Age 30, white male, lives in the East End, has lived in Portland ~30 years total.
Problems with Portland: There is no outreach of what people want in the city, unaffordable condo, Portland is using money on arts to amp East Bay Side, but displacing middle class because housing is becoming unaffordable
Technology Improvements: Public transportation, some sort of rail line, public Wi-Fi

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Peter:
Age 49, white male, lives in Rivertown for 26 years
Problems with Portland: Unaffordable for working class, condos are too expensive
Good things about Portland: Green space → lots of trees, green areas (compared to other cities), the ocean and islands nearby

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James:
Age 54, white male, lives in Rivertown for 33 years
Problems with Portland: Bigger companies are coming in and taking out independent business, there is a sense of false diversity (pockets of immigrants), unaffordable housing
Technology Improvements: Better public transport system → more times, more reliable, restrictions on amount of bars in city at a given time (changed nature of Old Port and downtown Congress St), nothing privileged in parks (Woonerf system), bike friendly streets

Café Ethnography (10/4/14) Coffee By Design, India Street
Cloudy, rainy

4:00pm
I first went to Bard Coffee—very hip and located in a central place
Now on India street: much more empty–maybe that means less tourist filled?
Raining outside…not many people walking around
Seen a few people in groups with umbrellas
16 people inside café
many apple products → ipad, iphone, laptops
people sit on the outside of the café first (chairs near front window, tables along walls, in back)
one man walking, couple walking
signs outside have small graffiti
horse carriage passed
three friends just met up → two women, one man (white)
man stays in café for a while…talking about hybrid cars

4:10
18 people in cafe
many people in line to order food
people are sitting in the middle of the table row (because place is more full)
couple closest to windows individually reading newspapers
man alone with headphones writing in a journal
three friends that met up earlier talking
man sitting alone on computer with headphones
gets up with empty coffee mug to order more
couple walking outside (white; male and female)
they parked across street → walked in, tried to use bathroom (locked)
slowly walk in and stay close together as read the menu out loud
ask for bathroom key
father and son sitting outside at restaurant across the street

4:20
couple still reading newspaper
group of three left
two women talking at middle table
lonely man w headphones went outside to smoke cigarette
16 people inside cafe
a few cars driving past
some people walking on street
couple looking at bathroom (following map to get key for door)
no one really staying outside → mostly in transit
bob marley playing
man walked up to man smoking → looking through window at people inside café

4:30
I’m definitely the youngest person here
Only people here alone have headphones in and on computer
A lot of people still wearing jackets → either cold or not too comfortable?

4:40
Everyone is doing something → reading newspaper/magazine, working on computer, talking
Most people here are in conversation of two people rather than doing work
14 people and a baby!! (which is included in the person count—I just wanted to emphasize its presence)
baby/child and father are playing on the ground in back of store
Man walked in and then left
Family walked in and looked at bathroom
Man walking dog outside
Though not a very touristy area, still affluent seeming people in coffee shop
Well dressed, using technology, people leave stuff at table when getting refills

INTERVIEWED BARISTA

4:50
15 people in cafe
many people in line (barista paused interview)
two younger (mid teens?) girls (white) alternating turns and holding possessions in bathroom

5:00
two women still talking
16 people here
two men sitting at table – one writing, one reading newspaper
lone man still writing book
waves of people (many people at once, then empty)
when people order, standing around counter
man sitting, using phone

5:15
most people here for conversation (meeting up other people)
some people doing work

INTERVIEWED 2 MEN (the ones sitting at the table)

(yes, it took 45 minutes –they had a lot to say)

6:00
no one here (7 people including 2 baristas)
employees cleaning → sweeping, vacuuming
very friendly bartenders (I got a chai latte on the house)
female barista wanted people to leave so she can sweep
couple sitting together secluded in window area
man reading map alone by window

6:30
8 people here (and another baby!)
Asks barista a question about the map
Barista sweeping → Closing/cleaning up/winding down
Man drinking tea with baby (sits in comfortable chairs by window)
Waiting to meet someone at cafe
Shrek music playing (Accidentally in Love)

6:40
Since it’s later in the night, more people here individually
7 people here (including baristas)
Not as many cars outside
People walking by alone
Man with baby is looking at the products for sale (and singing with the baby)
Blink-182 playing

6:50
Middle aged people left
Mostly younger people still here – 30s?
Low diversity
middle aged

Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk, Public Space

Sustainable Aspects (and Parks) of Portland

5 Comments

The data I collected during my transect walks reflects the sustainable aspects of Munjoy Hill and Deering Oaks Park. I paid attention to gardens, composting bins, recycle bins, trash bins, and solar panels (along with some other observations). Though, it was interesting to see that a few buildings actually did have solar panels, overall there were not many “green” indicators throughout Munjoy Hill. In fact, I did not see one recycle bin anywhere in Portland!

When I interviewed for mental maps, the barista at Coffee By Design mentioned Portland’s composting system and while I was visiting a bakery, there was publicity for the composting system as well. However, it was challenging to note which houses actually recycled or composted since I walked around on a Sunday and both are collected on Tuesdays. It would be interesting to see how many people actually compost since my data does not accurately reflect the people.

While walking, I passed one park (Fort Sumner Park), which was overgrown and not particularly cared for. It was hidden in a residential area, but had a GREAT view of the city (see picture below)! The bottom half of the park did not have much, but once walking up the staircase, there were four benches overlooking the city. Another noteworthy green space I saw was the East Promenade, which is one large park along the shore of the eastern side of Portland. It did a good job of providing enough seats for visitors, the history of the area (such as at the Fort Allen Rehabilitation Park ), and attractions that appeal to a wide range of people. There was a playground, a baseball field, picnic tables and benches, and spaces to walk along near the shoreline.

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Fort Sumner Park on Sheridan (Taken by Jenny Ibsen)

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The View from Fort Sumner Park (Taken by Jenny Ibsen)

When I walked around on my second visit, I went to Deering Oaks Park, which had an interesting use of space because there was a large central fountain and pond, yet there was no seating around it.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 7.12.01 PM

Deering Oaks Park Map (Drawn by Jenny Ibsen) – My extremely rough sketch of the park, including all the trash cans and picnic tables that I saw during my 30 minutes there. The black rectangle is a stage and the green circle is a plot of plants.

The park had several awkwardly spaced benches in an abundance of purposely uncared for grass. There was a sign posted nearby stating, “Sections are purposely left unmowed in order to return to a more natural and healthy woodland.” This was extremely interesting because though naturally maintained gardens are more sustainable, I have never actually seen this in practice. This could be more effective in the park if there were more attractive aspects to the park. There were not enough seating options to attract a large amount of people, and aside from the stage, there were not many other reasons for people to visit the park in general. This, in addition to the uncared for grass, gave the park an overall average feel (though, it did look nicer than other parks in Portland).

Overall, Portland has a few impressive aspects of green technology, but could use some work for the basic framework of the city. There were solar panels a few buildings and there were plans for them on a newly constructed building. I was also surprised by the abundance of Hybrid cars, mopeds, and Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV). Yet, the city definitely needs to work on its public green spaces and frequency of recycling bins.

Transect Walk
Started: Eastern Promenade                (10/19/14)

  • Lots of plants at houses
  • Garden (corner of E. Promenade and Turner)
  • Hybrid car—236 E. Prom, corner of Quebec and E. Prom, 304 E. Prom, corner of Melbourne and E. Prom
    • I don’t know why I kept track of this—they just seemed really abundant
  • Solar compacting trash – 288 Eastern Promenade

Walked to Walnut, then Willis

  • Hybrid—23 Willis

Montreal St

  • Corner of Willis and Montreal—first graffiti sign
  • Garden: 41 Montreal, 46 Montreal

North St

  • Newly developed houses
  • Multiple family buildings (condos)
  • School located at 129 North St

Walnut, Sheridan

  • Green Clean building (local company?) —179 Sheridan
    • Organic waste container (curb to garden program)
    • Hybrid car
  • Area feels empty
  • Developing? House under construction across the street
    • Solar panels on picture
  • Graffiti and overgrown garden
  • Fort Sumner Park (hidden view of Portland)
  • 107 Sheridan – laundry line in backyard
  • 106 Sheridan – recycling bin outside house
  • 99 Sheridan – Moped

Cumberland

  • 62 Cumberland – solar panels on roof

Sheridan, Congress

  • 159 Congress – garden
  • 127 Congress – partial 0 emission Subaru

St. Lawrence, Monument

  • many front yard gardens
  • 53 Monument – garden

Waterville, Sherbrook, St. Lawrence

  • garden – 70 Waterville
  • recycling bin – 72 St. Lawrence
  • Moped – 61, 52 St. Lawrence

Fore St, Eastern Promenade

  • Many decks on first and second floors of houses
  • Large windows

O’Brien

  • 4 O’Brien – organic waste, kWh usage outside house, recycle bin

Eastern Promenade

  • 64 E. Promenade –recycle bin
  • Fort Allen Rehabilitation Project
    • Bollard lighting (instead of over head street lamps)
    • Solar compacting trash (no recycling)
      • 64, 84 (around corner) E. Promenade
    • empty green space
  • recycling bin—168 E. Promenade
  • roads close to shore, green grass, randomly placed benches facing water
  • few trash cans, but no litter??
  • Solar compacting trash
    • corner of E. Promenade and Congress, Turner and E. Promenade
  • First water fountain!! (corner of E. Promenade and Congress)
  • Playground (few trash bins where expected (around edges of playground area)
  • Many houses have roof windows or natural lighting
    • Corner of Congress and E. Promenade
  • 222 E. Promenade – garden

Other places (drive back to 295)

  • Solar panels — Washington and Cumberland
  • School and Solar panels, community garden (North St)
  • Pick up to 295 – solar powered signs

Deering Oaks Park                  (10/21/14)

  • No seating near fountain/pond
  • Benches along paths and borders
  • Only saw 3 trash cans
  • Some lampposts located near paths
  • Trees near bridges are abundant
  • Grass is naturally kept
  • What is under the bridge?? Looks like it should be the pond but actually dried up… L
  • Stairs leading down to the pond on northern side of bridge
  • Park continues across street…no benches, no trash
  • Outside park: some houses, commercial, industrial area, near highway

 

**Added November 3, 2014:

Transect Walk

Transect Walk: Above is a map of my transect walk (the red point mark indicates my start and stop location).

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

Reconsidering Smart City Suggestions: Portland Wants Parking

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After speaking to Portland residents and commuters, one thing that became very clear to me is the popular demand for better parking in Portland. Of the four people I spoke to, three had cars. All three of them cited the parking as an undesirable aspect of Portland. However, none of the people I spoke to seemed to be aware of any place to park except by the waterfront.

One of my earlier ideas was to increase signage in the city. Originally this was intended to educate the public on smart changes that occurred around them, especially in relation to public space. I still feel that signage is important— that there is power in simply pointing out in words what you want people to know. If parking is a problem, it is possible to acknowledge and address that in part with signs. There might be a physical need for more parking space, but there may also be a distribution problem that could be helped by the distribution of information. The city is so small that there might be a trove of parking within a ten-minute walk, which would be useful if people knew where to find it. Easy to read maps and signage would help tourists and locals alike to locate parking nearby.

Ideally, the small degree of satellite parking would also help Portland to transition to a walking city. In turn, the increase of walking could benefit the numerous sidewalk businesses, and help public spaces to thrive more as places to rest or eat lunch before returning to one’s car.

 

Mark is a 56-year-old resident of Portland. He was a social worker, and now lives on disability payments. He is from Massachusetts, and has lived in Portland for 7 years. When asked what he likes about Portland, he cited the people in Maine, his good experience at Preble Street Resource Center, and his "great" experience with the Portland Housing Authority. He said he dislikes the weather.
Mark is a 56-year-old resident of Portland. He was a social worker, and now lives on disability payments. He is from Massachusetts, and has lived in Portland for 7 years. When asked what he likes about Portland, he cited the people in Maine, his good experience at Preble Street Resource Center, and his “great” experience with the Portland Housing Authority. He said he dislikes the weather.
Josh is a 26-year-old resident of Portland. He is originally from Woolwich, Maine, and has lived in Portland for one year. He works as a shop clerk in the business district of Portland. When asked what he likes about Portland, he called it “the perfect amount of city,” not too big or too small. He said he loves Portland’s culinary scene, and likes the people. He had trouble coming up with a clear source of dissatisfaction, except the “awful” parking around Old Port.
Josh is a 26-year-old resident of Portland. He is originally from Woolwich, Maine, and has lived in Portland for one year. He works as a shop clerk in the business district of Portland. When asked what he likes about Portland, he called it “the perfect amount of city,” not too big or too small. He said he loves Portland’s culinary scene, and likes the people. He had trouble coming up with a clear source of dissatisfaction, except the “awful” parking around Old Port.
Brittney is a 23-year-old resident of Hollis, Maine, about 25 minutes south of Portland. She works at Beal’s ice cream parlor, where she has worked for eight years. She is now a student in Boston, but commutes to Maine for the weekend and continues to work at Beal’s. She has never lived in Portland, but said that she likes the small town feel, and the fact that “people know you.” She said that parking is a real difficulty, especially for people who work in Old Port as she does. She also said that the parking officials make parking especially difficult.
Brittney is a 23-year-old resident of Hollis, Maine, about 25 minutes south of Portland. She works at Beal’s ice cream parlor, where she has worked for eight years. She is now a student in Boston, but commutes to Maine for the weekend and continues to work at Beal’s. She has never lived in Portland, but said that she likes the small town feel, and the fact that “people know you.” She said that parking is a real difficulty, especially for people who work in Old Port as she does. She also said that the parking officials make parking especially difficult.
Marina is a 22-year-old resident of Portland. She is originally from Florida, and moved to Dixfield, Maine, about 10 years ago. She has lived in Portland for about a year, and works as a house cleaner in the greater Portland area. When asked what she likes about Portland, she said she loves the people, the food, and the energy of the city—especially that it feels “thriving” but things slow down by around 10 pm. In the downtown area, she says, people want to have fun but not make trouble. She cited the parking as a source of dissatisfaction, and said that, being from a rural area, she is still getting used to the city noise, especially the ambulances. She also said that the city is definitely geared toward tourists, not residents.
Marina is a 22-year-old resident of Portland. She is originally from Florida, and moved to Dixfield, Maine, about 10 years ago. She has lived in Portland for about a year, and works as a house cleaner in the greater Portland area. When asked what she likes about Portland, she said she loves the people, the food, and the energy of the city—especially that it feels “thriving” but things slow down by around 10 pm. In the downtown area, she says, people want to have fun but not make trouble. She cited the parking as a source of dissatisfaction, and said that, being from a rural area, she is still getting used to the city noise, especially the ambulances. She also said that the city is definitely geared toward tourists, not residents.

 

10:45

  • Two people sitting with to go coffees chatting by window (Jen and Mark)
  • Man behind me doing work with coffee to stay (Mr. Pince Nez, PN for short)
    • He has very small, “cool” glasses
    • Tweed jacket
    • mid 50s
    • cleft chin
    • I think I just distracted him
  • Woman in cool scarf and sweater walked out
  • Bearded man in self-aware Canadian tuxedo just walked in

10:55

  • Two women buying drinks (lime soda, coffee)
  • A few people have walked by outside, usually quite casually/ no hurry
  • One biker who looked like he was intently on his way somewhere
  • Jen and Mark have been chatting with no sign of stopping
    • I hope they will leave soon so that I can take one of their seats
  • PN making a phone call
  • Horse drawn city tour passing by (Stillbrook Acres, rides for all occasions)
  • The vibe in here is really nice except that I feel so self conscious about essentially spying on people
  • Florence + the Machine playing

11:05

  • Jen: white female ~30 yo, wearing workout clothes, minimal but careful makeup. OMG she is so into him she literally laughs at everything he says.
  • Mark: white male ~30 yo, wearing a very large watch
  • A meet-up just occurred in another corner of the shop… “so how do you know le-ann?”
    • White male, ~45, used the word “mate”
    • White female, ~45-50. Holding macbook air. Son’s name is “Hawk”
    • Both of them have sunglasses
    • Discussing business venture?
  • Woman runs past shop
  • Many people in here/around are in workout clothing
  • Somebody that I used to know
  • Arcade Fire Wake Up

11:15

  • Things seem to be picking up
  • Business meetup is for web design of this woman’s non-profit (she started it)
    • Hawk sat down right behind me
  • A bit of a rush now, more people who appear less outwardly “cool” and are also not in workout clthers
  • PN is leaving, looked at the WSJ on his way out
  • More car traffic outside
  • Lots of people come in and use the bathroom (at lease 5 while I’ve been here)
  • I think they might be playing “I want it That way” (Lol it’s actually Albert Hammond Jr. In Transit)
  • First kid came in, with dad (looks like he just needs to pee)
  • People hanging out outside (3 people standing around chatting, seem to have dog with them)
  • Jen and Mark have gotten comfy (damn, I want those chairs!)

11:25

  • Jen and Mark left. Mark: “Shall I escort you home so that your students don’t jump you?” (he sounds like an asshole but she really didn’t seem to mind)
  • I took their chairs (better view of the street)
  • 5 people sitting at tables and chairs outside, w 2 dogs
  • A lull in business, now
  • Not sure what the song is, same feeling as the rest
  • Have yet to see a person who doesn’t appear white—saw one black man outside

11:35

  • Two people who look South-Asian (?) just walked in
  • Many people here get coffee in to-go cups even if they end up sitting for a long time
  • OMG such a cute golden retriever outside
  • And a baby! Wow what cheeks
  • Australian guy just sat down, complaining about it being Columbus Day because he wanted to mail a package and it’s a federal holiday (he and his American buddy couldn’t figure out what the holiday was, though)
  • Cool old woman just walked in, did not hold door for young man coming in behind her
  • Young folks playing, someone whistling along very poorly

11:45

  • South Asian couple chatting at the counter, very friendly. She is in
  • Another lull
  • A different couple walked in, dressed very hip. She was on the phone. Wearing pink pointy flats and walking with a limp. Taking a long time and debating what to drink, chatting to barista and hugging while they choose

11:55

  • Even more of a lull now
  • Aussie and his friend Googled and figured out it was Columbus day
    • “What would you rather be, intelligent or creative?”
  • Business meet-up is still going on
  • African American boy ~11 went by on his bike
  • Two preppy white boys ~18 walked by
  • Guy w a large clipboard ~27 walked by looking for something
  • Car traffic consistent, probably ~1 car every 3-5 seconds at busy moments, with breaks in between
  • Fair amount of bicycle traffic, certainly fewer than cars though
  • Same music inside

12:05

  • 3 old women now buying coffee
  • Business meet-up is over, woman and her son still her
  • Aussie and his friend working steadily (…on Facebook)
  • Coffee grinding
  • Calming, no-lyric music playing now
  • Barista with bangs was totally unoccupied for like 5 minutes earlier, sat on her phone until people came in for coffee
  • Not much to report on outside—this street is pretty quiet in terms of pedestrian traffic

12:15

  • “I’m going to do… a coffee.” Odd phrasing in order by young woman now buying
  • Old couple just walked in. Man wanted bathroom
    • They appear to have a very unclear/confusing order
  • Aussie now playing arcade game on his computer
  • A lot of people use this space as a semi-public restroom
  • Music has gotten a little more “rockin’”

12:25

  • Several people/ groups in here ordering now
    • Blond young man and woman (heavily made up)
    • Slightly older (~25?) couple (man and woman) browsing coffee cups etc
    • Two young “trendy” women, and an older trendy woman
  • Very hot here now by window. I’ve already moved though so I’d feel a bit weird moving again. Wish they had some sort of shade or awning
  • Chilled out guitar music
  • Australian has switched computer games
    • Continued unawareness of visible buttcrack

12:35

  • Went up to get iced tea and almond croissant
    • The pastries are definitely not their strong point but the drinks are great
    • One of the baristas is gluten free
  • Fashionista in a purple trenchcoat just came in and out
  • Child (~10?) standing alone at counter… who is taking care of him?
    • Ordered a hot chocolate, took it outside and crossed the street by himself
  • Music has gotten more poppy, less acoustic

12:45

  • Young woman (~16/17?) and ~6 year old girl in here now (sisters?)
  • Large man (~40) ordering coffee
  • Young woman (~25) in line
  • Someone left a laptop on the counter
  • Young woman with golden retriever working outside on laptop still
  • 3 people browsing bagged coffee selection
  • This almond croissant is pretty shit but I’ll probably eat the whole thing anyway
  • Old woman in socks and sandals drinking tiny drink and writing on tiny notepad
  • Adam Tice artwork on walls—fairly uninspiring acrylic paintings of different pieces of food and some other things (block o meat, cup of coffee, pickle, etc.)

12:55

  • Tiny drink woman left
  • Two men at counter, one using bathroom
  • New longhauler is here, set up with her ipad near the counter. She has her own mug, it looks like
  • More conversations noise and less music, now
  • People still looking at coffee paraphernalia
  • Young guy with messenger bag just came in
  • Old woman on laptop in other corner
  • There is a whole other side of this shop that I am not very connected to— 2 differentiated seating areas mean noise is well dispersed
  • Woman walked by holding newly purchased broom—had walked to store
  • Guy sat down opportunistically to read abandoned WSJ

1:05

  • Used bathroom (key system to prevent surreptitious use)
    • Nice, small, pleasantly dim bathroom
    • Surprisingly, mirror has been defaced w/ word scratched into it: “EAIRZ” or similar, written in skinny graffiti script style
  • Another young couple
  • Another old man
  • Aussie still playing comp games
  • Music is more upbeat now

1:15

  • More of same
  • Two vaguely grungy high school girls came in to study the cooler of drinks
  • Woman debating pastry choice like no other
  • Flume bon iver
Post #7: Individual Analysis of Transect Walk, Public Space

Searching for Public Seating in the West End – Emma Chow

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I conducted a transect walk through the West End with fellow Public Space group members, Libby and Jackie. We decided to focus on public seating and learn from the William Whyte video to observe the state of usable public seating in Portland’s West End. Our observations indicate a need for more public seating facilities, but perhaps more importantly, better maintenance of current seating facilities. There is great potential for the two parks we visited to be improved; I would recommend the City dedicate their funds to first improving the Western Promenade and Deering Oaks park before setting plans to install any new parks. I also would recommend that public art installations be shaped around seating – either making the art the seat itself or creating art near pre-existing seating to make it more inviting.

Our walk began at Pine St. and State St. and we headed west to the Western Promenade. We could not find any public seating on our way to the Promenade, which was quite surprising to us since we perceived ourselves to be in one of Portland’s most wealthy residential neighborhoods. We spotted a tree stump early in our walk and given the lack of traditional seating (benches, ledges, etc.), we proclaimed that if they had cut the tree a little higher then the stump would be a wonderful seat! We thought about the potential for having a series of stumps that could be carved by local artists and then lacquered for longer wear.

IMG_0977

The tree stump that inspired our “nature” seating idea.

We spent quite some time exploring the Promenade, which had exactly six benches, all of which were very run-down and not aesthetically pleasing. The placement of the benches was rather unusual – they were awkwardly spaced and faced out toward some trees and shrubbery (some of which had been cut down) overlooking the water. A water view sounds appealing, however, the inlet is surrounded by industrial buildings, large storage tanks, and the airport – not exactly what I would like to look at for a long period of time. We struggled to understand why the park designers had placed the benches in such a manner. Would it not be more pleasing to have the benches turned the opposite way facing the lawn? And perhaps fill the lawn with some gardens and more trees? Or level a section of it out and make it a soccer field, play ground, or recreation area? We saw three people while we were at the Promenade, all had dogs. Why not make part of it into a dog park? They could easily install a dog tap for water along with some doggie bags, a physically fenced in area is not necessary. The paths did not make much sense to us either – three different materials were used and the path which housed all the benches was very broken and poses a safety risk to anyone walking or running along it. The lighting fixtures in the park were inconsistent, as well. The area mostly left us feeling confused, wondering who would come here and what they would do.

IMG_1007

 

The winding paths on the northern end of the park which were very confusing to us. They were very narrow and at a steep incline which would make it difficult for older residents to use.

IMG_0998

 

A view of the industrial area below.

IMG_0990

One of the three types of paths at the Western Promenade, looking old and grown in. 

IMG_0985

All of the benches looked like this one. Old, moldy, and not very comfortable looking (no arm rests even!). 

We headed North from the Promenade past Maine Medical Center. There was some seating outside the hospital entrance, however, it faced the side of the building rather than the street. The height of the seating was ideal, but it was rusting and old. It also did not appear as though it was very well-cared for.

IMG_1009

The blue rusted seating facing a brick wall.

IMG_1012

Here is our first example of some usable public seating outside the hospital. The ledge is a good height and depth, it is facing the street, and the flower bed can be planted with aesthetically-pleasing arrangements to attract people. 

IMG_1015

Across the street from the hospital is a parking lot with a stone wall that has so much potential for seating, but the railing is stuck right in the middle so seating is not even a possibility. It is such a shame that patients and hospital employees lack opportunities to sit outside for lunch or an afternoon break. 

IMG_1018

A seating area at the corner of Deering St. and Congress Ave. where two of the three benches sit side-by-side with a garbage bin – not exactly the most inviting space for people to want to sit for an extended period of time. The third bench (not pictured) is looking away from the others, isolated all on its own. 

IMG_1021

We made our way north to Deering Oaks park, which was definitely the most encouraging public space we visited, particularly for seating. There was a string of benches bordering one of the winding paths. We did spotted one lone picnic bench; however, it was placed in a random location. We noticed the lighting fixtures were, like the Western Promenade, inconsistent – some were black lanterns while others were grey and ugly. The pond is a great feature, but there are no paths built along it and no seating nearby. How are people supposed to be able to enjoy the fountain and watch the ducks if there is limited access and no facilities to sit? Furthermore, the park needs a physical or psychological barrier to separate it from the traffic driving by. I know I would be much more likely to want to spend time there if the visual and audio effect of the cars did not disrupt the peace of being immersed in nature.

Coordinates:

Low stone pillars: 43o39’02.15″N; 70o16’09.10″W
Promenade bench 1: 43o38’58.52″N; 70o16’34.65″W
bench 2: 43o38’57.33″N; 70o16’34.62″W
bench 3: 43o38’56.53″N; 70o16’34.73″W
bench 5 (think we’re missing one): 43o38’54.50″N; 70o16’34.15″W
bench 6: 43o39’04.52″N; 70o16’34.98″W
Blue hospital benches: 43o39’07.83″N; 70o16’31.52″W
Stone hospital benches: 43o39’08.62″N; 70o16’29.70″W
Hospital bus stop: 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: 43o39’25.03″N; 70o16’20.17″W
DOP 2: 43o39’25.32″N; 70o16’19.84″W
DOP 4: 43o39’26.10″N; 70o16’15.64″W
DOP 5: 43o39’26.22″N; 70o16’14.57″W
DOP 6: 43p39’26.48″N; 70o16’12.78″W
DOP 7: 43o39’26.84″N; 70o16’11.52″W
DOP 8: 43o39’27.22″N; 70o16’10.67″W
Post #6: Individual Analysis of Ethnography & Mental Maps, Public Space

Portland Residents Highlight Big Room for Improvement for Public Space and Park Space – Emma Chow

5 Comments

This data provided me with some valuable insights into ways public space can be improved. The cafe ethnography demonstrated that people in Portland do like to sit with friends and chat, read alone, and meet up with family at a coffee shop, in addition to doing work on laptops. The cafe had the atmosphere of what I would love to see in public space, however, the cafe is not a public space because people are obligated to make a purchase in order to spend time there. It made me think about the potential for indoor public space. I thought about how incredible it would be to make such a space as Bard cafe accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford a $5 beverage.

The mental maps highlighted the public spaces participants use. Two of the maps feature park space. One, from a Portland resident, and one from a Yarmouth commuter. The Yarmouth commuter highlighted Deering Oaks Park, where a farmers’ market is held in the warmer months. The Portland resident lives near the West End, but utilizes recreation areas on the eastern promenade and the Back Cove. When we did our transect walk in the West End, we notice how underutilized public space is and how dreary the one park we visited was. It is no wonder this resident ventures across the city to “play”. That same resident recommended that smoking be banned from Congress St. I had not thought about the role in public space in Portland before and must admit that besides outside the hospital, we did not come across any “no smoking” signs during our transect walk. Banning smoking in public spaces, particularly parks or seating areas would definitely help improve the comfort of places and encourage people to use them more.

4:20 pm 10/3/14

  •  3 middle-aged people, two women and a man are chatting at a table; the table behind them sits empty but there’s a green water bottle on top of it – where did the people go? Did they forget their bottle? A man with very cool glasses sits in a suit and skinny purple tie, entrenched in his phone. Another man settles into a table and chair by the window looking onto the street, sun streaming in. In the back corner a woman and a man sit doing work on their corporate laptops; they’re sitting on couches that are deep and comfy. Another businessman sits in a wicker chair doing work with his feet up on another chair. Four people, two who know each other, are sitting at the stools by the café bar.
  • A man wearing Dr. Marten type shoes with the Union Jack on is standing in a vest at the cash register. Three women, all blonde in their late 20s and early 40s are standing chatting as they wait for their drinks along the wooden countertop. Another man has joined the people on the couch. The man in the vest just left as he took a call. A woman sits at a bench table fiddling with her large purse, sitting sideways draped over the chair as she speaks to a friend on the phone.
  • A woman is wearing gloves, why is she wearing gloves? It’s 70 degrees out! Oh she’s taking them off. An older gentleman walked in and ordered a drink and a delicious looking pastry. The three blond women have their drinks and have sat down; they look to be in quite a serious conversation. The woman with the gloves is in her late twenties; she’s sitting across from a man who looks like he could be her dad. The bar stools are empty except for two women at their laptops. They sit alone.
  • The man with the cool glasses and purple tie sits, eyes still glued to his iPhone, A mom and two kids just walked in – one boy and one girl. The boy is pouring himself a cup of water and the girl is staring at the pastries through the transparent display case. Mom says she can’t have one – too close to dinner. The girl has taken claim to a stool in the corner; she’s twirling around, mom smiles at her from across the counter. The man sitting in the wicker chair has stood up and put his coat on to leave, grabbing his laptop on the way out.
  • A woman with a wrap around her head and a cobalt blue cozy sweater has sat down across from the man with the glasses. The three blond women are departing. A man with sunglasses on his head, in work boots just walked in. He looks as though he just wrapped up the day at a construction site. Two girls in their late teens or early twenties are waiting for the bathroom, the woman on the couch advises them of the café’s policy – they need to ask for a key to get in. The woman with the head wrap is ordering a drink.
  • A man with a camera strapped around his neck carries a brownie and hot drink to the bar and sits on a stool; He sits with his giant backpack on his back. Perhaps a tourist? Or maybe media photographer. It’s hard to tell for sure. Man with glasses and cobalt blue pants sat down beside the woman with the head wrap and across form the man with the cool glasses. The man and the woman on the couch sit in silence, clicking away at their keys.
  • A mom with two kids, another boy and a girl walking in and are standing in line, except they’re standing in the line to received drinks rather than order. They just realized and moved over to the cash. Lots of people in suits are walking past the café windows outside; it’s the end of the work week. The man on the couch has left, but his bag is still there, maybe he’s in the bathroom.
  • The mom with the two kids (with the daughter who sat at the stool) is now joined by their dad in the corner at a square table. A couple with a stroller carrying their young daughter are waiting for their order. The mom pushes the stroller back and forth; the daughter is calm and quiet, sitting peacefully. The man who was on the couch has left.
  • The corner by the window sits empty, the families have left. The two baristas are noting to one another that tonight is the art walk. The guy with the cool glasses and the two other people are enjoying lively conversation. While the man with the glasses is no longer staring at his phone, he always needs to have contact with it, playing with it and tapping it against the table. Oh, now he’s looking at it while speaking to them.
  • Two women in their middle ages just walked in. An older man just ordered an apple. He asked for a knife too, to cut the apple. One of the women is getting a class of water, now she’s refilling the cup. That same woman is wearing scrubs, it’s hard to tell since she’s wearing a sweater, but the white ties are coming out the bottom. Two men with their bags on chairs sit at the tables by the front windows, one on an ipad, and the other on a laptop.
  • The man with the glasses and his two friends are heading out. A woman with curly hair, a green backpack, and glasses is peering at the menu, but she has already ordered. A woman in a pink blazer and black work dress just walked in. She has opened a compact to retrieve a credit card. A man with a ponytail just ordered with a card and signed the ipad that acts as the cash register. He’s sitting at a stool next to a rugged looking friend with a large beard.
  • A man with arm tattoos and even tattoos on his sideburns is sitting with the woman with the pink blazer. He has a file folder filled with tons of paperwork. Maybe she is his accountant or doing his taxes? He’s writing down numbers on a sheet of paper on a clipboard. A young couple is standing in line debating what they want to order. A woman sits in the corner, looking out onto the street as she reads her book. An older woman in an orange vest is standing outside the window.
  • An older man is standing at a laptop at the counter; he’s staring so closely at the screen. I’m not sure what he’s doing. A man just got the key for the bathroom; it’s on a kitchen whisk haha! A family just walked in. They’re all very funkily dressed. One woman has blue booties on and a bright yellow fall scarf. The woman with the blazer is now speaking to the man with the tattoos, all the papers have been cleared off the table
  • A man in work boots just spilled some tea on the ground and his boots; he just went to grab some napkins to mop up the spill. The café is very quiet. The funky family has claimed the couches as their territory. Four people sit at the stools. The woman by the window is still reading her book peacefully and the two men are doing work still at the tables in isolation.
  • A man and wife sit across from us at the bench table in silence, the husband is peering over his glasses at a newspaper while the wife stares at her phone He just mumbled something to himself – are they having a conversation with no eye contact? Oh, they just engaged in conversation. The woman reading the book in the corner just stood up and put on a black wool beanie. She’s walking to put away her cup and plate and heading out the exit doors, book in hand. The two rugged looking men are sitting and conversing at the bar still.

Mental Maps:

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Age 34, female, graphic designer, lived in Portland for 12 years, lives in Libbytown, would like to see smoking banned from Congress St. Would like more info about study results: [email protected]

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Age 37, male, food truck chef, lives in Scarborough, has lived in Maine for 13 years, would like to see improvements in the sanitation department.

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Age 50, male, veteran, recovered drug addict, has lived in Portland for 6.5 years, would like to see cops be less corrupt.

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Age 26, female, has lived in Yarmouth for three years, admissions representative at MECA, would like to see better street labeling and striping.

 

Post #5: Infrastructure Reflections, Public Space, Uncategorized

Creating a People Friendly Street

Jiménez describes and defines what he believes to be the right to infrastructure. He claims that, “The infrastructure is not something that is ‘added’ to the social…but, rather, something that becomes reinscribed as a constitutive ‘right’—the right to define and redefine one’s infrastructural being.” [1] Whereas some aspects of a city are additional, such as aquariums, galleries, or museums, infrastructure is a key component to the structural existence of a city. It is a right, not only for the city, but also for the people.

Useful kinds of infrastructure include physical, such as highways, electric power; social, such as police and hospitals; and data, such as the underlying codes that run the city. Simone reinforced this idea of infrastructure by taking it to the next level, claiming that not only are the physical elements of a city essential to the infrastructure, but also the people living within the city can form their own infrastructure. [2]

In Sorkin’s essay, he describes an essential element of infrastructure is the flow, which is directly related to conflict avoidance. [3] This means, the flow of traffic and how efficiently things run. When I interviewed a man in Portland for the mental maps, he mentioned that Portland should import the Woonerf sidewalk and public space system, which would help the neighborhoods flow. It is a system based on the concept of shared space that encourages interaction between all forms of transportation (i.e. bikes, pedestrians, and motor vehicles). This includes the idea that the sidewalks are at the same level as the roads on which vehicles drive, and in fact, sidewalks and bike lanes are not even labeled separately. This allows for travelers to be conscious of their surroundings, which creates a more equal system of travel, along with a more people friendly environment.

Another idea that would help advance the infrastructure in a city would be putting the electrical systems and telephone lines underground. This is helpful in the case of a storm, so the power is less likely to go out, and it makes the streets safer, and more aesthetically pleasing. Though these are not necessarily the “smartest” ideas, they are the beginning to creating a more friendly and clean space for the people who live there.

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[4][5] These pictures are examples of the Woonerf system.

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1. Jiménez, Alberto Corsín. 2014. “The Right to Infrastructure: a Prototype for Open Source Urbanism.” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 32 (2): 348.

2. Simone, AbdulMaliq. 2014 [2004]. “People as Infrastructure: Intersecting Fragments in Johannesburg.” In The People, Place and Space Reader, edited by Jen Jack Gieseking, et al, 241–46. New York: Routledge.

3. Sorkin, Michael. 2014 [1999]. “Traffic in Democracy.” In The People, Place and Space Reader, edited by Jen Jack Gieseking, et al, 411-415. New York: Routledge, 2014.

4. Woonerf. Digital image.  Web. 8 Oct. 2014. http://www.livingstreetsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Woonerf.jpg

5. Insa-Dong Woonerf. Digital Image. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4117/4775157676_38b75188d7.jpg