30th Aug 2005
Part 3: I Saw A Whole Generation Nodding Yes
This is the last part of grabbing thoughts from the Trip for now. The title is plucked from a quote of Jack Kerouac (I picked up Hip: The History at the Warhol Museum). I say that some cities, states, or other entities (such as a hotel chain) can be Hip in their own fashion, when it comes to Tech (specifically WiFi).
Free WiFi - If you’re a city/state offering free WiFi, you’re well on the way to “getting it”. It’s a way of saying “get some stuff done, or just have fun, but do it in our space - stay a bit”. I say Iowa gets it. The rest stops have free access, with freeway signs touting “wireless internet” from Davenport to Council Bluffs. You go, Iowa!
A tangent to this is how older towns and cities handle urban growth. Some put a fair bit of effort into creating a nice old / historic district, and it flourishes. Maybe they offer free WiFi as an incentive to get people to hang out and generate some economic activity. Other towns (yes, Grand Island comes to mind once again) don’t get it, let their downtowns wither, and let the developers trip over each other on the way out the planning department door on the way to the bulldozers positioned on virgin ground outside downtown. From my limited exposure, at least the inner Iowa City gets it. They have an extensive Pedestrian Area, and the local library offers WiFi coverage outside its boundaries. And there’s more to come.
Denver gets it. I like that they’re putting in a light rail system along the freeway. I like that they have a good shuttle system downtown. It’s not on par with Portland, OR, but it’s a wheel in the right direction. Lots of WiFi in Denver (looks like they’re #13).
Speaking of transportation, Las Vegas doesn’t quite get it. Monorails are Hip, but not if you have to walk and walk and walk to get to them. Why is the system hidden behind the hotels on the east side of the Strip? I smell a massive compromise. If you’re going to get people flowing amongst the resorts, put the damn transportation front and center, right down the middle of the Strip, with stops at every intersection. Is that so hard? On the plus side, I like the elevated walkways. It’d be oh so Hip to put the damn road underground, and turn the Strip into a massive promenade. Maybe within 20 years?
Don’t even get me started on hotels that still charge for Net (yo, Luxor, you kidding me? $180+ a night and you still want to charge for wired access? Later, Luxor). I praise Holiday Inn Express. They’re not the Hippest, but at least they Get It.
