Linden Labs, creator of Second Life, has awarded a Linden Prize to Studio Wikitecture for their WikiTree project. The online collaboration uses the virtual world "to harness a groups collective intelligence in designing architecture."
"To help aggregate the contributions of such a disparate range of individuals, we developed what could best be described as a 3D-Wiki plugin for Second Life. The Wiki-Tree, as we called it, worked very much like a conventional Wiki, but instead of tracking text documents in a linear history, this 3D-Wiki tracked versions of digital models and saved them within a continually evolving 3-dimensional collective 'mind map'.
When a contributor used the inworld interface to upload their design iteration, a new leaf grew out of the existing 'Canopy'. For every leaf created inworld, a corresponding section was also created on an external website. Besides storing the individual design iterations, the 3-dimensional Canopy was able to visually convey how the different ideas, submitted by different contributors, grew and evolved from on another. Popular designs in the canopy turned green, and the less popular designs turned red and were automatically pruned.
To review the various designs, members could simply click the individual 'leaves' and the design contained within would rez itself out on the parcel. Members were also able to upload snapshots, vote and comment on their fellow contributor's designs."
FULL STORY: Studio Wikitecture: Open Architecture Challenge
Montana Land Use Reform Overhauls Public Participation Rules
In a bid to streamline housing permits, new state legislation limits public input to the land use planning stage.
The Slow Streets Reckoning
Slow streets programs provided a quick short-term solution and paved the way for some permanent street closures and realignments. Now, these programs are getting a second look as community groups react to the changes.
Pandemic Planning Must Reconcile With the Inequities of the Past
The ongoing debate about the role of marginalized communities in the emergency planning programs of the pandemic has now been detailed on the pages of the New York Times.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
A Lone Voice for Climate: How The Wild Robot Stands Apart in Hollywood
Among this year’s Oscar-nominated films, only The Wild Robot passed the Climate Reality Check, a test measuring climate change representation in storytelling, highlighting the ongoing lack of climate awareness in mainstream Hollywood films.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research