There has been a lot written lately on the effects of falling oil prices on our Alaska economy. These articles primarily focus on who is leaving the state ("the talent" as economic corporations call them) and who will be left here in a few years. Politicians and leading local experts continue to discuss the urgent need for economic diversification so Alaska will continue to be a great place to live, work, and play.
What is entirely missing from the discussion of our "post-oil" state is a reimagining about what our "post-oil" cities might physically look like. How can we design and reuse our cities for individuals who do stay behind regardless of the falling price of oil? How can we move the discourse from diversifying our economy to diversifying the ways we utilize the space of the city and state -- specifically the spaces left behind or created due to the collapse of "Big Oil"? What are some potential spatial solutions to the falling price of oil that address how individuals use the city in their everyday lives?
For instance, what might be a creative way to adapt the housing stock vacated by laid off or transferring oil executives? Can these houses, many too large and too expensive to meet the needs of the average working person, be transformed into multifamily units or affordable housing in neighborhoods that, until now, are not very dense? As ConocoPhillips requires less parking for its dwindling workforce, what may be a way to convert their employee parking lot at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and H Street into a more multifunctional space and not just a half-empty parking lot in downtown Anchorage? Might those extra parking spaces be modified into bike parking or a pop-up market space beyond the tourist season or even an additional public green space downtown?
Likewise, as we consider fewer drivers may be on the road -- not because gas prices are too high, but because households may not be able to afford two cars (or even one) any longer, what are some innovative transportation solutions for our cities? How can we rethink city spaces to make public transportation more robust or how can we urge government officials to prioritize our sidewalks so pedestrians have rights to our city streets just like drivers of cars?
If we want to continue to build Alaska into a place for people who already live here and are planning to stay here as well as the kind of place that will attract new residents, it surely is important we diversify our economy, but perhaps it is even more imperative we begin to think differently about the physical spaces of the city post-oil. These issues aren't unique to Anchorage or Fairbanks or Juneau, but our state can be on the forefront of a strategy that can be adapted in other cities worldwide experiencing similar changes to their city spaces as a result of lower oil prices.
Bree Kessler is a freelance writer and researcher. She continues to live in Alaska although she was laid off from University of Alaska Anchorage several months ago.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com or click here to submit via any web browser.