Space and Transportation

We’ve been reading a lot about how space functions in Los Angeles, and I can’t help to notice that everywhere I go. Space is manipulated by the designers, giving them a power that many who function in that space rarely notice. There are numerous department stores that shoot you up multiple floors on escalators, but make you walk to the farthest corner of the store to go back down. Back at the University of Michigan, one of my professors took the class out to the main quad where most of our political rallies took place. She explained to us how the university had power over student organization because they constructed the space so that it would concentrate all involved, and made it possible to surround them on all sides by police.
Back at home in Hawaii, several low-income areas circumscribe the downtown business district. Because most of the middle to upper class areas are occupied, a new middle class town has been created on the West side of the island about thirty minutes away. It is interesting to see that even in the Aloha State, classes still choose to remain segregated. However, because of overcrowding on the roads, many who can afford to drive to work are forced to ride the bus with others who can only afford the bus. This common means of transportation partially negates the class divide that many attempt to attain via space.
A new rail mass transit system is also in the works, and although less than 35 homes and businesses will be displaced, I wonder what the effect will be on segregating certain communities. I may be naïve, but the project has the potential to really connect communities. Unlike the trains in LA, they will cost the same as busses. They have multiple stops in lower income areas as well as popular destinations such as Chinatown, and various colleges. Nonetheless, I am a bit skeptical because Hawaii’s economy is based on tourism. Because the rail will be raised, it is possible that like the freeways, it may overlook certain areas, and decrease spatial awareness.