Having done the transect walk, I am more confident in my original ideas, which was already supported by my cafe ethnography.
- Portland has amazing natural beauty, that could be better utilized, appreciated by more people, and to a certain extent, capitalized.
- Amazing and gorgeous views, but few people get to enjoy it, which is pretty evident from all the empty benches. There is definitely more potential for higher utilization rates — even the designers of the park would agree!
- Infrastructure could be designed near the Waterfront in ways that complements and preserves Maine’s natural beauty, which would attract a greater population to the area.
- I have been told that during Canadian Thanksgiving, Canadians take ships to Portland and dock at Old Port. However, constructing a pier/casino complex in the East End would be perfect. It is the closest spot in Portland City to the ocean. Visitors can visit the complex and cash can flow into the city without disrupting other parts of the City.
- 295 is really close to many residential neighborhoods, and noise pollution can become troublesome.
Transect Walk: Eastern Promenade
- The neighborhoods on my way to the East End looked nicer than when I was on the West Side. In fact, I was pretty impressed by the entirety of Fore Street — very commercial and lively.
- Toward the south side I see some people and a lot of dogs. Though through out my entire walk there seems to be a lack of dogs waste disposal facilities.
- No public transportation seen near the East End, although there a lot of road access approaching the waterfront.
- Benches every 7 yards but there all empty, as can be seen from the photos below. All benches have different name plates on them, which is kinda cool.
- Pretty nice park, breathtaking scenery, as you can probably see from the pictures. No fences surrounding the park area. No homeless people seen. Just no living things around me.
- Do not really see many light posts in the park, not really designed for recreation after dark, eh?
- Huge parking lots. All empty.
- There is a playground with no children.
- A jogger just passed me!!!
- Many multi family houses. So there should be a sizable population in the community, which does not make sense considering I have been seeing nobody outside. The houses do not seem entirely occupied.
- I can hear sounds of the highway (295) throughout the walk. Having the 295 so close by and above ground creates serious noise pollution, which definitely impacts the values of adjacent properties.
Empty signs?? Infrastructure not well serviced around here I see.
Coordinates:
- Lat: 43.6655; Long: -70.2415
- Lat: 43.6651; Long: -70.2401
- Lat: 43.6667; Long: -70.2411
- Lat: 43.6674; Long: -70.2419
- Lat: 43.6678; Long: -70.2423
- Lat: 43.6683; Long: -70.2432
- Lat: 43.6695; Long: -70.2451
- Lat: 43.6697; Long: -70.2457
Your observations about the benches reminded me of when we all spoke in class about how the city planners of Portland do not necessarily know where all of the park benches in the city are. I find it interesting that the benches were not used much when you went on your walk (unless it was cold/rainy) because of our many conversations about seating in cities and how people use benches, railings, etc. to sit and talk. Your photo of the side by side benches is really funny though – I would never expect so many benches right next to each other and I feel like that would be a reason for people to NOT sit on the benches.
I also did a transect walk through the East End and was amazed by all the sights and views. There is so much natural beauty up there, but it did not seem to be capitalized on. I am really surprised by how empty the benches were on your walk. I wonder if the weather or day of the week had anything to do with it. I did also notice that a lot of infrastructure was not being used along the Eastern Promenade. It seemed so oddly deserted. I thought it may just be the time of the week or the season, but I do think now that it is much more of a constant issue for the neighborhood. Perhaps introducing some more community social networks (like a tennis or basketball league) could encourage more social interaction and usage of some of the facilities along the Eastern Promenade.
I find it interesting that you think that a pier/casino complex on the East End would be a good improvement. How do you think this would change the historic nature and feel of this part of the city? I feel that it is important to preserve as much history as possible. Especially because this aspect of a city is often lost as it goes through transformations. Your observations of benches reminded me of our field trip to Portland where we began to analyze the role of parks in Portland. The fact that you never saw a single person on a bench is important, and showing us that they way in which these parks were created could be better.
Although this did not necessarily tie into your transect walk, I like the further thinking about casinos on the water. I may have mentioned this in a previous comment; in my hometown, there are two floating riverboat casinos that do quite well. Given that DiMillo’s has already done this type of infrastructure, it seems feasible. There would definitely be pushback from the public, though, since casinos are not the most agreeable places. About your transect walk; empty benches may be partly due to the time of day and season, though I agree they are underutilized.
Who put all of those benches in a row like that?! The promenade reminds me a bit of visiting a music venue during daylight hours. Or pictures of Chernobyl. The amusement park in Zombieland. I’m sure it is much more heavily trafficked during the summer when tourism is in full swing, but here it looks remarkably deserted.
The lack of lighting is also an issue that seems to permeate most of Portland, not just its outer rim. I wonder if it is more a matter of taste or lack of development?