Following our mapping of Newbury Street discussion, Shaun presented a great lecture on reclaiming the public realm. I especially enjoyed the discussion of ecotones and patches. I had only been introduced to these terms and concepts in a Living Systems studio and how they relate to animal habitats. What an interesting transference into human behavior. What struck me most was the image of where the edges of two ecotones meet and what happens along that edge, lots of gathering. The idea of scale was also of interest to me and the perspective of grain vs. extent.
As I ponder my research paper and question what specifically I want to know about my site (Front Street in Scituate, Mass). I began to piece together all we have been presented with and read. I then re-read my initial observation of front street and began to think about what was most important to me about this site not only as a citizen of the town but as someone who never takes for granted the beauty and natural space that surrounds us everywhere here. There was one element of my observation I kept coming back to: all of the walkers, dog walkers and cyclists in town who use Front Street as part of their routine walks or journeys everyday. Completely surrounding Front street is a beautiful marsh area and a lovely harbor complete with lighthouse and ocean views. Along the perimeter of the waterway is a paved walkway and in at certain points a gazebo and a grassy overlook. The walkway follows the same path as Front Street so it is not a detour or doesn't take the user out of the way. Yet, it is underutilized. My observations and recollections for this course and from the past make me so curious about this. Is there something in the design of that path that repels users? What happens in that edge space where animal habitats meet peopled habitats? Of course I could be wrong and the walk is used a lot more than I think.... That is what I would like to find out. I would like to use Zeisel"s outline for trace evidence, direct observation, at differing times and questionnaires. I will most definitely be looking for both what is there and what is missing.
I have presented my ideas to Nora and with her guidance and beginning to get more focused, she gave me a lot to think about! I will have a skeleton questionnaire and a more focused approach tomorrow!
By the way, I forgot to post my new favorite term:
Shadow Citizen: A person who is physically present in a site but mentally detached from it, perhaps because they are listening to an iPod, texting etc. (From Class Notes)
Also:
Light Trespass: The infiltration or interruption of light where it is not desired. (From Class Notes) Thanks, Ted!
Credit for "Shadow Citizen" goes to my ex-student at the BAC, Aaron Tetzlaff, who coined the term. We were talking about the changing character of public space use and he came up with this. However, I take "credit" for coining the term "nonopticon" as the opposite of the panopticon. A panopticon comes from the work of Jeremy Bentham and refers to the single all seeing eye - a guard tower in a prison or the central nursing station in the hospital. I call spaces where no one is looking - nonopticons.
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