Technology such as Google Earth is dramatically transforming how the public perceives architecture and how architects design buildings.
"....consider one of the most dramatic shifts to hit the architecture world in decades: the growing prominence of the roof - and, perhaps more important, the top-down perspective that exposes it to view - in the design of buildings, neighborhoods and even whole cities.
Thanks in part to the surging popularity of Google Earth and other Web-based programs, which give the public a bracingly new, if detached, way to interact with the built environment, rooftops are shedding their reputation as forgotten, wind-swept corners of the urban landscape and moving toward the center of architectural practice...Environmentally minded firms are making dramatic use of green roofs....Using satellite images and aerial photographs [Google Earth and its competitors] have enabled a new kind of architectural tourism..."
Architects say the influence of the bird's-eye view seems to grow by the week. Clients arrive for preliminary meetings having studied overhead views of their building sites on the Internet. And if you sit in on thesis reviews at an architecture school these days, chances are quite good that a student presentation will begin with an image from Google Earth or another online source.
Google Earth...may tempt architects to play to their growing virtual audience at the expense of a building's day-to-day users, creating new architectural icons designed to look striking not from the sidewalk but from above, on a computer screen."
FULL STORY: Architects change their view of the lowly roof

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap
A bill that caps rent increases at 7 percent plus inflation is headed to the governor’s desk.

From Planning to Action: How LA County Is Rethinking Climate Resilience
Chief Sustainability Officer Rita Kampalath outlines the County’s shift from planning to implementation in its climate resilience efforts, emphasizing cross-departmental coordination, updated recovery strategies, and the need for flexible funding.

New Mexico Aging Department Commits to Helping Seniors Age ‘In Place’ and ‘Autonomously’ in New Draft Plan
As New Mexico’s population of seniors continues to grow, the state’s aging department is proposing expanded initiatives to help seniors maintain their autonomy while also supporting family caregivers.
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