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In discussing our various interests regarding housing, one aspect stood out as important to all of us: the problem homelessness in Portland. We were all struck by the rapid transition from commercial downtown Portland to Prebble Street and significant poverty. This has framed my attempt to conceive of recommendations for a better Portland: how can smart technology be used to help the worst-off?<\/p>\n
As Angelidou so succinctly points out, \u201cNo specific advantages of hard infrastructure-oriented strategies are mentioned in the smart city literature.\u201d[i] Furthermore, they do little to mitigate, if not actively promote, \u201cSpatial polarization and gentrification, as technology take-up is not evenly spread throughout urban areas, with splintering effects on housing, consumption, lifestyle, leisure, etc.\u201d[ii] This strikes me as a major problem, equally important as Greenfield\u2019s wide-ranging critique of smart cities. Who gets smart technology, and who is positioned to reap its rewards? Greenfield mocks the neutrality of smart city public policy, and rightly so.[iii]<\/p>\n
That said, while the first recommendation may not be \u201csmart,\u201d it seems imperative to a better Portland. In the light of the second recommendation, too, I would argue that new affordable housing projects could serve as prime testing grounds for smart efficiency strategies.<\/p>\n
With regards to the third recommendation, I see it as located within a goal of integration of different socioeconomic groups in the city space. Housing will likely lead to stratification, and urban farming seems a good way to counter the tendency to cordon oneself off from \u201cothers\u201d. This relates to the last point, which might seem out of place in the housing section. But as new housing would likely be built in less dense areas, it would be important to make sure public transportation reflected the needs of those who use it most, those with less money. Perhaps a rethinking of routes would be\/ is already necessary.<\/p>\n
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[i] Angelidou, Margarita. 2014. \u201cSmart City Policies: A Spatial Approach.\u201d\u00a0Cities<\/em>, S6.<\/p>\n [ii] Ibid., S6.<\/p>\n [iii] Greenfield, Adam. 2013. Against the Smart City<\/em>. 1.3 edition, page 37.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Zone more space for affordable housing, and build more affordable housing (not luxury condos). Optimize energy efficiency in new housing, thus saving money in the long run. Urban farming\/ community garden initiatives. Guarantees that \u201csmart city\u201d technologies be deployed equitably across socioeconomic lines. Smarter coordination of public transit. In discussing our various interests regarding … Continue reading 5 Recommendations for a Smarter Portland\u2014Housing (Peter)<\/span>