Cities have become obsessed with going viral.

If you want to test your city's brand power—that is, its tourism appeal—try searching its name on Instagram. Social media impressions have become a valuable currency for cities seeking to beef up their tourism economies, and to build this particular form of marketing clout, many major cities are investing heavily in outsized, iconic displays designed to function as the perfect backdrop for highly shareable selfies.
"In urban space, our desire to photograph and share virtually everything has spawned a new genre of urban pleasure grounds. They specialize in Instagram bait, a hybrid of ultra-popular immersive art … and increasingly ubiquitous brand activations," Benjamin Schneider writes in CityLab. "These social factories, as they might be called, tone down the art and branding aspects, leaving their social media appeal to do the heavy lifting."
Schneider's definition is part of CityLab's tongue-in-cheek "guide to the #GrammableCity," a collaborative analysis of the photo-friendly public art trends cities are adopting to drum up social media attention and attract ever more tourists. (Among the more fashionable choices: larger-than-life letter sculptures, faux street art in rainbow palettes, and ubiquitous decorative lights.) The writers also explore the phenomenon's broader implications for art, civic institutions, and infrastructure: Cities' obsession with social media tourism, Kriston Capps writes, has grown to the point that some have eschewed crucial city lifelines in favor of flashy new visuals—as when New York chose to outfit MTA bridges with LEDs over funding basic repairs to the crumbling system.
The civic craze over easily replicable, eminently consumable "Instagram bait" isn't likely to wind down in the near future, CityLab authors agree. Rather, as Schneider writes, "Every part of the real world stands to be 'socialized.'"
FULL STORY: Your Entire City Is an Instagram Playground Now

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Idaho Data: Unexpected Vehicle Repairs Exacerbate Housing Instability, Eviction Risk
Over 21 percent of clients struggle with transportation barriers.

A Year-Long Investigation On Permanent Supportive Housing
The New York Times reveals what’s working and what’s not in the cornerstone of Housing First.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland