In the District where whispers hold as much power as regulations, Avery faces a crossroads: complete design of The Device which tracks movement to a very precise degree, or quietly resist? What happens when a simple traffic control device becomes a tool for surveillance—and survival? Avery confronts the ethical implications of their work in a city that’s always watching. 

• LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE:
  
  
• Apple Podcasts
  
  
• Spotify

Sponsored by:

Expedition Works

Hi. We’re a full–service design cooperative – let’s work together to make your journey with a purpose successful.

See AlsoAvery §3v28f – The Light



Avery §g6BFn – The Crosswalk



More podcasts

.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-1155 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-1155 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; }
Avery §NLs82 – The Device



Every map is a visual poem – the subway map with Peter Lloyd



A Field Guide to American Houses with Amy Talkington



Missing Middle Housing with David White



The city is for children to use



Contentious Curbside EV Charging in Urban Neighborhoods



Constructed Authenticity at the Ohio Village



Avery §d7B32 – BR-723B



City Hall Deliverista mobility hub: Man Man & Gustavo



Avery §g6BFn – The Crosswalk



Introduction to the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity – A little bit more housing



Avery §M299A – The Meter



Avery §3v28f – The Light



Avery §J4dz8: The Hydrant



From Placemaking to Placekeeping: Redefining Urban Spaces with Alexa Gonzalez



Avery §d78a5: The Drop Box



How did we get here? A Zoning Primer



Avery §2F20A: The Transmission



Beyond Boundaries: imagining a new communal typology with Peter Yi



Avery 001: The Exam



New York’s 5G Dilemma: Navigating the Future of Urban Connectivity and Public Spaces



From Amazon to Advocacy: reclaiming space for the neighborhood with Memo Salazar of the Western Queens CLT



016 Farevalue: Successful Failure



015 – Glass House: A Warped Mirror



014 – Farnsworth House, Telling the whole story



013 Matt Webb – Poem/1



012 Erika Lee – Just Start



011 – King of Zoning: 10 proclamations



010 Julian Bleecker – A Little Bit More Curious



009 Sam Starr – cargo bikes



008 Colin Kelly – Better Bin



007 Shaun Mosley – Research is Caring



006 Sandra Rothbard – freight matters



005 Graham Rossmore – Curbs for People



004 Karen Kubey – Cities of Imagination



003 Joanne Cheung – Cities Book of Play



002 Tom Badley – Offline Cash



001 Cincinnati’s West End with Josh Junker




Transcript

 Entry.

one fourteen four point seven eight.

This traffic control device shouldn’t be so hard to complete, thought Avery.

The request was to augment the previously designed and implemented traffic light and crosswalk devices. Both of these designs helped Avery advance to higher levels, granting more autonomy and better assignments.

This should be easy:

Take the existing design vocabulary and extend it to a new device to track moving objects. The device didn’t need to be that large since much of the compute would be offloaded to the district grid.

The problem wasn’t the design or the function.

Avery’s mind was preoccupied with the possibilities of new leadership.

The selection process for the Supervisor was almost complete.

The process was convoluted, and Avery wasn’t even sure what the options were for input.

Only Paulina knew Avery’s preference [00:01:00] between the two candidates, but in this part of the District, speaking out against the vocal minority had consequences.

Besides bodily autonomy, there were more insidious currents at play.

The whispers and side conversations ran rampant at the district office.

Questions kept coming up, without clear answers.

What if the new leadership asked us to work on something illegal?

What about something Unethical?

Were we even allowed to talk about it?

There are certain acts and regulations which barred staff from engaging in some forms of political activity.

Did talking about the Selection meet that criteria?

If we all had different red lines, how do we work together as professionals to service the district residents?

What if this Device was used to track certain people the Supervisor didn’t like, feeding that information into a centralized database in order to track and deport them?

[00:02:00] Avery wasn’t famous at all, so resignation would just mean no position and a need to explain a gap on the Codex.

So while the design of the device was elementary, the implication of the device put Avery in uncharted waters.

Avery asked Paulina to fill up the calendar for the next three days with enough design meetings for other teams and subordinates.

Avery could help others, if not herself. And sometimes ignorance is bliss.

End of Entry.

Vocalized by Audrey AI program one.

For more entries enter in your Control Panel

jwp.news/avery

end of control.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

This post came from our weekly-ish newsletter. Feel free to signup below.

Please leave this field emptyOh hi there