Public space needs drastic improvement in Portland, and I am part of the group focused on this aspect of the city. I have many suggestions in terms of increasing the usage, accessibility, and efficiency of the public space that is available in Portland. However, in terms of smart city recommendations correlating with public space, only a few areas can easily be implemented. I have taken one of Greenfield’s qualifications of a smart city, which he claims refers to retrofitting networked information technologies into existing urban places.[1] Greenfield also mentions that the philosopher Gilles Deleuze states that space is only important for the connections it creates rather than the qualities that it inherently holds, which is tightly linked to smart public spaces.[2] After reviewing Greenfield’s claims about public space, here are some suggestions regarding the improvement of smart cities through public space in Portland.
- Parking notifications sent to cars – There are apps for iPhones and Androids that help people find parking spots to create more efficient turnover, use of public space, and free-up space on roads. However, it would be more efficient if this information was sent directly to people’s cars so that they could access it while they were driving. The application for such data makes sense in the mobility case, however it losses effectiveness when a driver who is attempting to find parking is unable to access his/her phone while driving to obtain the data.
- Public wifi – This would encourage activities to take place in public space that were previously reserved for cafes, libraries, or homes.
- Interactive maps – Gives residents of Portland a better understanding of the offerings that public space has and how to get to different public spaces throughout Portland.
- Application for scheduled events in public spaces – People will be more in-tune with events that take place in public spaces such as outdoor concerts, art walks, art exhibits, food truck hours, etc. People will be more aware and able to attend events in public spaces.
- Docking/charging stations in public spaces – This would be friendly to the business world and will attract a wider range of people to take advantage of the public space who otherwise would not take advantage of.
Looking through documents from the Portland City Council Board Meetings, there is little mention of public space. In Portland’s Common Goals for 2014 document, there was no mention of the creation or improvement of public space in Portland, an immediate sign that more attention needs to be directed to this area. Very few “orders as passed” from the fiscal year 2014-2015 had to do with public space, and furthermore no orders introduced the idea of smart cities to Portland. A few movements included improving traffic patterns through new signs or stoplights, which will allow for more traffic flow and less congestion in the streets, a common public space.[3] Order 34 concerned the redesign of Congress Square Park, suggesting both maintaining the existing structures of Congress Square Park or creating an event center with a public park over the event center.[4]. After visiting Congress Square Park and many other public spaces throughout Portland in the last few weeks however, it is safe to say they are still in need of improvement. It is one thing to improve public space and it is another thing to make the public space “smart” or filled with information technologies.
The above suggestions all concern “smart” city suggestions, which as Greenfield argues, is not always the most efficient and often suffer from over-specification.[5] With constant technological changes there is little redeeming cultural value in areas of a city, something that Portland is filled with does not want to lose.[6] Despite these claims against smart cities, there are some technological devices that can increase the use and value of public spaces in the city of Portland.
The suggestion that I would like to discuss is the interactive maps in Portland. This, in combination with the suggestion about the schedule of public space app, will give more people, both residents and tourists, knowledge about how and when to use public spaces throughout Portland. It is surprising that although Portland is such a small city, not many people feel totally comfortable with its landscape and layout. Many lose the value of public space or are unaware of the public space that Portland offers. If Portland had interactive maps showing all of the public areas available for people to take advantage of, the usage of such spaces would increase dramatically. Another feature of these maps can include scheduled events in public spaces, such as public art displays, concerts, and hours of food trucks in areas such as Congress Square Park. Not only would these increase traffic within public spaces, it would also increase attendance of events within public spaces. These aspects of a smart city are easily adaptable with the increase of public space or events taking place in public spaces.
[1] Greenfield, Adam. 2013. “What is the Smart City?” Against the Smart City. 1.3 edition. Location 115.
[2] Greenfield, Adam. 2013. “The Smart City is Built in Generic Space” Against the Smart City. 1.3 edition. Location 267.
[3] The City of Portland City Council. Order 11-14/15. Effective on 7/31/2014. http://www.portlandmaine.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/6159.
[4] The City of Portland City Council. Order 34-14/15. Effective on 8/14/2014. http://www.portlandmaine.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/6376.
[5] Greenfield, Adam. 2013. “The Smart City is Overspecified”. Against the Smart City. 1.3 edition. Location 642.
[6] Greenfield, Adam. 2013. “The Smart City is Overspecified”. Against the Smart City. 1.3 edition. Location 685.
I agree that Portland would greatly benefit from an app that features an interactive map of all the city’s public spaces and a schedule of events taking place in each of the spaces / streets. Events and festivals are often well-publicized in newspapers and on the radio, but the public is often unaware of smaller-scale events with limited advertising budgets due to lack of advertising. An app could create a low-cost (or no-cost) channel for event hosts to advertise to their upcoming events to the public. The app would ensure not only Portland residents, but also residents of neighboring towns and communities, have access to this information. Then, when they are in Portland, they can use the map feature to locate the public space where the event is taking place.
Jackie,
I agree that it is surprising that Portland residents are uncomfortable with the city’s layout, considering how small it is. I think your idea about interactive maps is a good one to combat this discomfort. These maps could make people explore the city more on a spatial level, which would lead to their increased understanding of the city not only geographically but also in their own cultural and emotional terms. The maps might push people to think more about the city around them– its public spaces and the rest of it, too.
To be honest I think it would be great to have any map of Portland available to the city besides the commercial ones for tourists. Larger cities often have maps spaced throughout the city with a “You Are Here” dot, and with circles whose circumference indicate a 5- or 10- minute walk. These circles would be pretty powerful in Portland, where a 10 minute walk can take you across the whole city.
-Eva
I really like the idea of creating a municipal parking app! There have been cases when private developers got in trouble with city administration for creating this kind of apps, despite their great usefulness. Parking app, endorsed and supported by the city administration, would greatly benefit both residents and visitors; people would be able to leave their cars in the parking spot and walk around the city. I think the two other apps proposed in this blogpost would also contribute greatly to the increase of public space usage. and the public chargers will come in handy because smartphone use in public spaces will spike after the introduction of these apps.
Your comment that too much technological change within a city can stifle culture is a very important point. It reminds me of Greenfield’s argument that “smart” cities are timeless and placeless in a generic way. It is important that new technology integrates the cultural history of Portland, and embraces its uniqueness. The public events app is one such method, using technology to promote local culture instead of trying to entirely recreate a new platform for it. I also think your public space interactive map is a unique and useful idea. I have never thought of a public map that was intended to specifically highlight public spaces, but I think it is very important. Publicizing public spaces will likely increase their value in the eyes of residents, because they will be recognized as unique and important features.
A lot of students have developed more and more thinking around this topic and the layers we will create from the transect walks will be a huge help if you decide to go this route, Jackie.
Of note: apps always cost something, if we just consider the labor. Oy, and what labor.