So I'm at work today and an interesting, and completely unwarranted email arrived in my mail-box.
Right now I'm living in Baltimore and it seems that they are trying to make the downtown area more accessable through a series of huge civic overhalls. The first one being the Charm City Circulator.
As the ads state it is "fast, friendly and free" and while this is all true, it seems to good to be true. It arrives every ten minutes and goes everywhere you would want. If there is no other agenda other than tourism, this might be the most noble gesture ever made. Also far too good for the likes of me.
Another step taken by the city of Baltimore's Downtown Partnership is the joining the "Project for Public Spaces"
In this case, there is an open survey to all Baltimorians (or ballimurns to use the accent) on their favorite and least favorite parts of the city
It's all very Jane Jacobs (which is'nt necessarily a bad thing), However, I'm just worried about the contrived nature of this expieriment. It's the continual arguement of will of the individual vision vs. the democratic creative process. One technique is not better than the other, but for me personally, civic planning that takes no responsibility for its own actions is either lazy or scared of dissent.
That being said I did participate and will keep an eye on it.
Favorite place: 
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