Top 10 Free Web Applications for Planning

I had the opportuntity, at the 2009 national planning conference in Minneapolis, to present (together with my colleague Christian Peralta Madera) ten free web applications that can be used to support planning. Approximately 350 participants attended the session. Since the presentation, I've received over 100 emails congratulating us on the practical nature of the presentation, and requesting links to the websites we presented. Since our presentation was a hands-on demonstration, this blog entry outlines the ten technologies, and provides links to examples of the technology in practice and resources so you can experiment with the technologies.

7 minute read

May 27, 2009, 12:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen



I had the opportuntity, at the 2009 national planning conference in Minneapolis, to present (together with my colleague Christian Peralta Madera) ten free web applications that can be used to support planning.

Approximately 350 participants attended the session. Since the presentation, I've received over 100 emails congratulating us on the practical nature of the presentation, and requesting links to the websites we presented. Since our presentation was a hands-on demonstration, this blog entry outlines the ten technologies, and provides links to examples of the technology in practice and resources so you can experiment with the technologies.

Does Free Matter?

When a web application is "free", we are more easily able to experiment with the technology. Many of us have had the experience of trying to talk a manager into purchasing a new technology for us to try. Unless the manager is already aware of the technology or service, the justification and budgeting process can be complex, and can discourage experimentation. All of the following web applications are offered for free so that you can easily experiment with them. However, it's likely that if you plan to use a web application on behalf of your organization, you'll want to upgrade to the paid version. In most cases, the paid versions offer extra features and support.

Google Maps Mashups

City of Burbank Planning Projects MashupThe term "mashup" comes from the music industry where a DJ (disc jockey) at a club combines music from two different records or CDs to create a new sound. In the technology industry, the term has been applied to combining different kinds of data in unique ways. Google Maps makes it very easy to combine your own data with a Google Map.

Examples


Resources

Video

Image of video showing Doug Boxer discussing DensityMost of us already recognize the power of video when we organize our day around our favorite television show. Video can be a powerful tool for community outreach. Just five years ago, the tools to capture, edit and display video was prohibitively expensive and complex for most of us. Today, the situation has changed dramatically with the advent of video sharing websites.

Examples


Resources


Twitter


Twitter, sometimes called a "micro blog", enables you to distribute short messages of up to 140 characters in length to your "followers" -- friends, colleagues and anonymous others who choose to follow you. The service has become increasingly popular in the last several months. Twitter creator, Jack Dorsey, explains: "Twitter has been my life's work in many senses. It started with a fascination with cities and how they work, and what's going on in them right now."  

Examples


Resources


Virtual Meetings


Image of a sample DimDim web conference with video and a whitebaordWe've all had the experience of having to wake up extra early to fight traffic to make it to a meeting across town. But as project teams becoming increasingly diverse, in-person meetings are not always practical or a good use of time. Additionally, for some community members, participating in planning and design meetings during the day may not be possible. There are now a variety of free and low-cost options for holding virtual meetings, from a "webinar" style to full video conferencing where participants can collaborate on a whiteboard.

Resources

Wikis


Wikipedia has become a valuable resource for most of us, and is perhaps the most famous example of a wiki. A wiki is a set of linked pages that can be edited by any participant, but all changes are recorded so you can see every change that was made. Wikis are sometimes described as "the simplest online database that could possibly work", and the word wiki comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast".

Screenshot from FutureMelboure Wiki home pageExamples


Resources


Social Networking


Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning. Yikes. There are now so many ways for us to create and maintain connections with our friends and colleagues, it's sometimes hard to keep up with it all. Social media-savvy planners are increasingly using these social networking technologies to efficiently inform, educate and engage members of the community where they are gathering online.

Examples


Resources


Blogs


If you're reading this post, you already know what a blog is. Planetizen Interchange is a "group blog", where members of the planning community come together to discuss issues of concern to the community. The ability for readers to leave comments is an important part of many blogs, including this one. So please consider leaving a comment about your favorite web technology for planning at the end of this post.

Examples


Resources

RSS & Alerts


These are admittedly the least exciting of the free web applications, but probably the most immediately useful to you. RSS stands for really simple syndication, and enables you to have news from your favorite websites collected and delivered to you in your web browser.

Google Alerts notify you whenever Google's search engine finds a news article, web page, blog entry or video about a word or phrase you tell it to look for. For example, if you're working on the the City of Tulsa Comphrensive Plan, why not set an alert for "PLANiTULSA" so that you know every time someone mentions it online?

Resources


Crowdsourcing


Screenshot from 'Ideas for Austin' website on UserVoiceCrowdsourcing is taking a task traditionally performed by a single person, and inviting a large group or  community to help complete the task. For example, companies will sometimes publish a thorny technical question, and offer a monetary reward to anyone who can solve it. The technologies that have evolved to meet these problem-solving needs are particularly well-suited to the field of planning, where we are often seeking ways to more effectively collect community input. Crowdsourcing websites allow the community to vote on which are the best ideas, or to submit new ideas for consideration by the community.

Examples


Resources

Texting/SMS


Example of a PollAnywhere poll used by sessions attendees to vote on their favorite technologyText messaging or "texting" is the popular term for sending short text messages from the now ubiquitous mobile phones using the Short Message Service (SMS). Most people use texting to send person-to-person messages, but text message can also be used to participate in contests by voting (think American Idol), order products, or interact with automated systems. In some cases, texting might be used as a replacement for keypad polling, which is often used in planning, but can be expensive to setup. We used the Poll Everywhere service to enable participants in our conference session to text in their vote for the most popular technology presented during the session.

Examples


Resources

--


We're considering offering an hour-long webinar to provide a hands-on demonstration of each of these web applications. If you are interested in exploring more about how to use these technology for planning, please email me, and I'll let you know when we schedule the webinar.


Chris Steins

Chris Steins is Planetizen's former Editor and the founder of Urban Insight, a leading digital agency. Chris has 25 years of experience in technology consulting and urban planning and has served as a consultant to public sector state, county, and local agencies, Fortune 500 private firms, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

March 28 - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

March 28 - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

March 28 - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Write for Planetizen

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.