I would like to take part in the research group focused on public space. I believe that this topic covers many recent issues and I am interested in the value of public space. We talked a little about the value that Central Park has, and the drastic decrease in value if Central Park no longer acted as a public space but was instead filled in or developed upon. It was interesting to see the different types of public spaces within Portland and how each are treated depending on their set up, availability, and access. This interests me because I find myself increasingly taking advantage of public space, something that I never previously had much contact with.

The part of Townsend’s lecture that intrigued me the most concerns ownership. The policy analyst in the video spoke about ownership of infrastructure and the topic arose of whether IBM owns and controls the information it helps collect. This sparked my interest in public space in a similar manner. If the space is public and open to everybody, who takes fault for things that occur in public space? Whose responsibility is it to maintain and care for public places such as parks, squares, and streets. Doesn’t everybody have a right to use public space so shouldn’t everybody hold some sort of responsibility to maintain it? This is a topic I am looking forward to exploring more.

I am not from a city; I live in the suburbs outside of Boston. The city that I have had the most contact with is Boston. Although not a huge city, I am able to enjoy the Boston Common and public areas just as much as the next and appreciate the areas of public space throughout Boston. Last year while abroad in Ireland, I had the opportunity to travel to many other countries throughout Europe. It was there that I really realized the value of public spaces. While carrying weekend belongings around throughout the city, the best part of the weekend was sitting in a park watching the world go by. I had never before realized the extent to which sitting and observing people can tell you so much about the city you are in, and this always occurs in a public space. With short trips to many cities over the course of the semester, I soon saw this aspect more clearly. I would love to learn more about the public space in a city so close that I am embarrassed I haven’t spent more time in, Portland. And I am looking forward to approaching public spaces there with as much value as I did in Europe.