Transportation consultant Garrett Walker asks, "Is SimCity still making us stupid?" Walker jumps into the Rush Hour 4 Expansion Pack to see if the user is rewarded for contemporary planning techniques or outdated, autocentric ideas.
Garrett writes that one major problem is that buildings can only have one entrance, so if the street they're facing dies off the building goes into disuse even if there are several sides facing roads.
"From a transit standpoint, the greater irritant is that while many new modes of transit are now provided for, you still don't control transit service, and the prevailing assumption is that creating transit infrastructure -- wherever you find it convenient -- will cause useful service to exist. A SimCity model of the Bay Area, for example, would leave the user clueless about the difference between BART (every 20 minutes or better) and Caltrain (every two hours at off times). Both have rails, so what's the difference?"
FULL STORY: is sim city 4 still making us stupid?
Cities: Skylines as an Urban Planning Tool
Computer simulations continue to play a novel and important role in urban planning, especially in finding new ways to engage the public and add some fun to the process of planning for the future of cities.
SimCity’s Impact and Evolution
The video game has inspired many people to pursue careers in planning. But, the newest version is also trying to better align the simulations with what planners face in the real world.
How a City Planner Plays SimCity
A gaming video on the popular City Beautiful YouTube channel shows of the Sim City skills of a professional city planner.
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.
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.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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