Uploaded on 2015-05-21 by kpeters714

1. This is a photo of the intersection of Boylston St and Fairfield St in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, MA. There is a variety of visible information present in the photo that can be easily found. For example, in the background you can find the lights of the John Hancock Tower and by virtue of which lights are on, can determine what portion of the building is being used at this time. On the right, you can see the traffic on Boylston St which is one of the main arteries in downtown Boston. In the foreground, you can find a vestige of historical Boston with the red firebox with the attached light pole with a red globe light. These are used to alert the fire department of a fire in the area and can be found at many major intersections in Boston. 2. One piece of invisible information that can be extracted from this photo is the traffic flow of people and cars on Boylston St and the surrounding area. A second piece of invisible information is energy usage in the buildings present in the picture and how that fluctuates with time. 3. Focusing on the invisible information concept of traffic flow on Boylston St., a better understanding of the use of this street over time by both people and cars can give the city of Boston the ability to make traffic in and out of the city more efficient. For example, a knowledge of the traffic flow would give planners the ability to stage traffic lights on the street so that cars move efficiently to their destinations and overflow of cars into intersections is prevented. Additionally, the collection of information pertaining to peak pedestrian times would give the city the ability to staff and place police and fire personnel appropriately for different times of the day and different months of the year. The ability to make travel more efficient through downtown Boston, a city that spacial designs pre-date automobiles, can serve to make the city of Boston more livable for people who work and live in it. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14322221001114896.jpg