With the success of Alberta, I turn my attention to another form of crumbling urban infrastructure: The Telephone Booth. Like the Flyer boxes, they are a popular platform for graffiti and stickers, and many are in a bad state of disuse and disrepair. In fact, many even are missing their telephones completely.

Unlike the Flyer Boxes, I am not an advocate for the complete removal of these Telephone Booths. We have built an incredible telephone system, and a remarkably ubiquitous pay phone infrastructure, and it would be a shame to see all that still potentially useful infrastructure completely torn out from the streets. As I wrote back in May:

“Apparently, NY payphones don’t make any money as payphones- their primary value is as a streetlevel advertising platform- a special platform that skirts normal regulations for installing street level advertising. I’m told that they’re even installing more payphones in NYC, even though ubiquitous cell phones are putting the payphone very much out of business.

You know what I’d like to see? If they’re going to maintain, and even grow, the network of payphones as an adverting-revenue generating platform, then they should make all local calls free. That is the old “Contract” of advertising, after all: We shouldn’t have to be exposed to your damn ads if you’re not going to give us something back in return. And how great would it be to know that whenever you hit NYC, getting in contact with the person you’re staying with is as close as the nearest payphone? It would be a great thing for tourists trying to avoid steep roaming charges. As a non-cellphone owner I would LOVE it. And it’s good for locals too. Cell’s dead? PayFreePhone. Lose your cell, need to call your moms? FreePhone. Bars closed, and you’re out on the streets drunk, hungry, and in need a Taxi? Dial “CAB” at the nearest FreePhone and be connected to the nearest cab dispatcher. Dial “INFO” to be connected to a tourism help desk. The possibilities are exciting and immeasurable.

Lets use this incredible, pre-existing infrastructure for something more than advertising.”

In the meantime, while I wait for my public-space utopia to manifest itself, I think Calgary here is a big improvement, don’t you?