I forwarded the postings on Glasgow to a friend...thought you might like to
see his response.
------------------------------------------------------------------
CHRISTIANA MIEWALD LEXINGTON-FAYETTE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
DEPT. OF ANTHROPOLOGY 650 NEWTOWN PIKE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY LEXINGTON, KY 40508-1197
CEMIEW00@xxxxxxxxxxxx (606) 288-2457
(606) 257-5124
LEXINGTON, KY 40506-0024
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Well, all very interesting, but not very new (at least not in Britain and as th
e second person said, not in the rest of the world). From my knowledge of Glas
gow, the streets that the cameras have been installed in are the main shopping
streets (Sauchiehall St, Argyle St) which were pedestrianised during 1970s (pos
s early 80s) "urban renewal". It seems to me that this brings up another inter
esting question apart from the old panopticon one. That is, one of the changin
g nature of "public" urban space. These cameras are being financed by the shop
s on the streets (such as the M&S dept store). These companes have for a long
time, in the *private* space of their stores, used surveillance cameras to cont
rol shoppers. Now their control is spilling out into the supposedly public str
eet. Both the streets in question, and many in Glasgow are home to a lot of pe
ople, people who would be considered undesirable by Marks&Spencer. Now that th
e stores have financed (obviously with the approval of Glasgow District Council
) the installation of cameras, they probably feel they have an even greater say
on what the space outside their front doors can be used for. Both streets have
benches on them where shoppers and the homeless sit. Its not too hard to see
who the police will be pointing their cameras at! While its true that there wi
ll be self regulation just as there is within the store, some people will not b
e given the chance to regulate themselves because of the way they look. Some h
omeless people are not welcome in stores because they dont fit the managements
mold of the "good" shopper. Now these store managers will expect more con
trol of the "public" street in order to make the same judgements; in order to d
ecide who can walk and sit in them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EUGENE MCCANN EJMCCA00@xxxxxxxxxxxx
DEPT. OF GEOGRAPHY
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY (606) 257-3948
LEXINGTON KY 40506-0027
see his response.
------------------------------------------------------------------
CHRISTIANA MIEWALD LEXINGTON-FAYETTE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
DEPT. OF ANTHROPOLOGY 650 NEWTOWN PIKE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY LEXINGTON, KY 40508-1197
CEMIEW00@xxxxxxxxxxxx (606) 288-2457
(606) 257-5124
LEXINGTON, KY 40506-0024
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Well, all very interesting, but not very new (at least not in Britain and as th
e second person said, not in the rest of the world). From my knowledge of Glas
gow, the streets that the cameras have been installed in are the main shopping
streets (Sauchiehall St, Argyle St) which were pedestrianised during 1970s (pos
s early 80s) "urban renewal". It seems to me that this brings up another inter
esting question apart from the old panopticon one. That is, one of the changin
g nature of "public" urban space. These cameras are being financed by the shop
s on the streets (such as the M&S dept store). These companes have for a long
time, in the *private* space of their stores, used surveillance cameras to cont
rol shoppers. Now their control is spilling out into the supposedly public str
eet. Both the streets in question, and many in Glasgow are home to a lot of pe
ople, people who would be considered undesirable by Marks&Spencer. Now that th
e stores have financed (obviously with the approval of Glasgow District Council
) the installation of cameras, they probably feel they have an even greater say
on what the space outside their front doors can be used for. Both streets have
benches on them where shoppers and the homeless sit. Its not too hard to see
who the police will be pointing their cameras at! While its true that there wi
ll be self regulation just as there is within the store, some people will not b
e given the chance to regulate themselves because of the way they look. Some h
omeless people are not welcome in stores because they dont fit the managements
mold of the "good" shopper. Now these store managers will expect more con
trol of the "public" street in order to make the same judgements; in order to d
ecide who can walk and sit in them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EUGENE MCCANN EJMCCA00@xxxxxxxxxxxx
DEPT. OF GEOGRAPHY
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY (606) 257-3948
LEXINGTON KY 40506-0027