Sorkin briefly but effectively makes a rather scary point in his piece, Traffic in Democracy: “the fundamental epistemology of the city—the way it constructs its meanings—is being transformed as physical presence ceases to be the privileged means of participation and enjoyment of urban life.”[1] Perhaps the fear is unwarranted, a byproduct of nostalgia that he suggests we try to avoid. Yet I believe strongly in his later statement that “the only training for living is living,”[2] and so unless we are willing to consider a new type of non- or less physical existence, fear seems at least a reasonable response. Call me a Luddite, but I hope to see physical space remain the dominant space of interaction as long as possible.
The Jiménez piece seems to put open-source technology to great use in the service of a more representative, accessible city. It is democratic to the core. Moreover, it allows for constant revision and updating.[3] It is a check on overzealous or power-hungry individuals (historically, figures like Robert Moses). And, to an important extent, it is cool; it attracts cool ideas, and leaves this impression on the final product, which makes them more appealing to use.
Finally, the Simone piece provides important insight of its own, which we came across to an extent in the readings on public space: the notion that people, ultimately, will make do with what they have. In the absence of certain infrastructure, we adapt. There is almost more risk on creating a too-rigid infrastructure, because it cannot be undone, while amorphous or incomplete infrastructure invites creativity and adaptation. At the most basic level, in Johannesburg, people serve as infrastructure.[4] This form of infrastructure, too, comes with strong and meaningful claims to identity in a way that might only be implicit in other spaces.
In regards to Portland, I’d like to see what would happen streets around Monument Square were closed off, and seating was added. I’d expect them to be fully occupied on nice days—of which there are not as many as we might like. Better public transportation seems a must, too—I don’t know anyone who has ever used it to get around the city. I would rather walk than figure out the maze of busses.
[1] Sorkin, Michael. 2014 [1999]. “Traffic in Democracy.” In The People, Place and Space Reader, edited by Jen Jack Gieseking, et al, 413. New York: Routledge, 2014.
[2] Ibid., 413.
[3] Jiménez, Alberto Corsín. 2014. “The Right to Infrastructure: a Prototype for Open Source Urbanism.” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 32 (2): 343.
[4] 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. New York: Routledge.