http://bigcitytalk.org.uk/632/4102/ A Place To Talk About Birmingham's Big City Plan Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:04:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://bigcitytalk.org.uk/632/4102/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Michael Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:04:58 +0000 http://bigcity.paradisecircus.com/?p=632#comment-52 The original document actually says that it is 'essential' that Birmingham has these interactive and intelligent systems. To me this is a red herring (and, less charitably, it just sounds like someone wants some new toys to play with). It would only take a little bit of effort to make the city much easier to find our way around right now, without fancy (and no doubt quickly depreciating) technology. <br>For example: by not hiding information boards behind bollards and lamp-posts; by making sure staff in the information kiosks actually know what's going on in the city (ArtsFest and Gigbeth have been particularly poor in the past); by making the information easier to find online.<br>The Bullring does have a fancy information system: I don't use it because it's much quicker, easier and more productive to ask at the information desk. The original document actually says that it is 'essential' that Birmingham has these interactive and intelligent systems. To me this is a red herring (and, less charitably, it just sounds like someone wants some new toys to play with). It would only take a little bit of effort to make the city much easier to find our way around right now, without fancy (and no doubt quickly depreciating) technology.
For example: by not hiding information boards behind bollards and lamp-posts; by making sure staff in the information kiosks actually know what's going on in the city (ArtsFest and Gigbeth have been particularly poor in the past); by making the information easier to find online.
The Bullring does have a fancy information system: I don't use it because it's much quicker, easier and more productive to ask at the information desk.

]]>