This semester I am interested in focusing my research on infrastructure. More specifically in regards to infrastructure, information and the control of technology for the public are fascinating to me. As a society, we are constantly changing our behavior based off the exponential growth of technology. The evolution of smart cities is a prime example of how information and the control of technology for the public are beginning to dictate choices that are made in our lives. Infrastructure is the foundation and basic physical core, and organization of structures we need for our society to operate and develop.

While the Dolores Hayden reading did not affect my choice in choosing to want to look further into infrastructure, the scholarly work did challenge the way that I see and talk about cities. One of the biggest I took away was the idea of space. As space is produced, it is constantly changing. But with this change we get place. With place comes the association the personality, and social history of a given place. Hayden writes: “social relations are intertwined with spatial perception”(16). Thus, the power and reality of place is that is forms our view of the world around us. Memories come together in complex ways, and how people see the world politically, socially and economically begin to become intertwined. All of these ideas enhance our imagination and allow us to constantly improve our dream about what cities should look like and represent.

Throughout my life I have been fortunate to travel to many cities around the world. It has been exciting to explore very “developed” cities like Hong Kong, Berlin, and Budapest to more “up and coming cities” such as: Addis Ababa and Libreville. During my last visit in Addis Ababa in 2012, something that I found to be interesting was the influx of Asian businessmen. Specifically they were coming from China and Singapore. In China and to many countries around the world, Addis Ababa is the next Paris or London. Investors are buying land up at an insane rate. At first, I did not really see what many people saw in the city. It’s lack of any remote form of infrastructure, especially its IT platform, in this day and age is astonishing. However after spending a month there and then returning that following summer, I now get it. Around 80% of the population lives in or very close to the city, while the remaining 20% are either members of nomadic tribes or live in rural areas. Slowly but exponentially, the city is growing in scale and with advancement in functions. Their system, which is primarily government owned and run, is moving towards becoming more optimized and efficient. Investors are coming in and looking to lay down a solid foundation. The space is ready to be occupied and ready to not just be land, but a place. After coming back from visiting Addis Ababa or when I am off of Skype with my parents, I am consistently amazed to see and hear about so much progress in infrastructure in such little time.