Smart City Suggestions:
\n1.\u00a0Rain water pond used for irrigation
\n2.\u00a0Solar powered lights in park spaces
\n3. App for monitoring traffic in\u00a0Portland (provides\u00a0best routes for walking, driving, biking, etc. taking into account events, closed roads, and rush hour traffic)
\n4. App for Parking (Tells available parking times, locations, and cost)
\n5. App for Festivals, Concerts, etc schedule (what events are occurring and the details about each event)<\/p>\n
Portland, Maine already\u00a0has the necessary\u00a0urban infrastructure to build a stronger, more networked system, which will help the transformation into a “smarter” city. In Greenfield’s Against the Smart City, <\/em>he states that the typical\u00a0\u201csmart city\u201d can refer to\u00a0a “far more consequential drive to retrofit networked information technologies into existing urban places” [1], though this is not always the case. In fact, Greenfield argues that a city that relies too heavily on technology is\u00a0unrealistic. Instead, when\u00a0building smart cities, one should take into account the unpredictable and flawed nature of cities and their efficiency. 1. Greenfield, Adam (2013-12-20). Against the smart city (The city is here for you to use) (Kindle Locations 119-120). Smart City Suggestions: 1.\u00a0Rain water pond used for irrigation 2.\u00a0Solar powered lights in park spaces 3. App for monitoring traffic in\u00a0Portland (provides\u00a0best routes for walking, driving, biking, etc. taking into account events, closed roads, and rush hour traffic) 4. App for Parking (Tells available parking times, locations, and cost) 5. App for Festivals, Concerts, etc … Continue reading Creating a Smarter City Through Parks<\/span>
\nListed above are five ideas \u00a0that would help\u00a0create a “better” Portland. I am defining a\u00a0“better” city as one that would provide an efficiently running, more connected, people-friendly cultural setting. The majority of these ideas rely on the technology of some sort of smart phone, such as the apps that can connect and update people with events occurring in Portland. However, the suggestion I am going to focus on in detail is the addition of a\u00a0rain water pond used for irrigation [2].
\nWhen visiting Portland, I noticed a fountain located in a park that was lacking in both aesthetics and functionality. A solution to this would be creating a pond that could support aquatic life, while\u00a0also naturally filtering and collecting water to\u00a0reuse for irrigation for\u00a0other plants in the park. This would be aesthetically pleasing for visitors of the park because it can host plants\u00a0and provide the same satisfaction\u00a0as viewing a water fountain.\u00a0Additionally, in the September 3, 2014 Portland Council Meeting, the members\u00a0discussed repairing\u00a0the current water treatment system of the Stormwater Outfall at Capisic Pond Park [3], which could also benefit from a water collection pond. This addition\u00a0could be routed to collect small amounts of run-off from areas in the park, which\u00a0would\u00a0help reduce the amount of run-off left at Capisic Pond Park in an environmentally friendly way. Although this pond is not\u00a0“smart” in\u00a0a\u00a0typical technological manner, it is smart in that it runs efficiently in an innovative way. The pond not only contributes to the beautification of the park, but also provides an efficient solution to controlling water\u00a0run-off and supporting the irrigation system in a park.<\/p>\n
\n2. This idea was actually inspired by the Aquatic Pond and Rainwater Harvesting System at Yale University’s Environmental Studies building.
\n3. Portland Regular City Council Meeting (September 3, 2014).\u00a0http:\/\/portlandmaine.gov\/AgendaCenter\/ViewFile\/Agenda\/09032014-583 (Accessed 9\/25\/14).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"