Or, put another way, what if planners could make unintended consequences a relic of the past?
Jen Kinney reports on the work of Simi Hoque in generation a mathematical tool for predicting the outcomes of planning and civil engineering decisions. According to Kinney, Hoque, an assistant professor in the building and construction technology program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, wants to give planners a new tool "that could help predict outcomes by anticipating how changes in one urban system would affect the others."
The tool is currently called the Integrated Urban Metabolism Analytical Tool, or IUMAT. Kinney reports that the National Science Foundation in February awarded a five-year, $500,000 CAREER award to enable Hoque and team to further develop the IUMAT. The article includes more details of the potential applications
FULL STORY: Math Tool Could Help Cities Avoid Planning Pitfalls
Critics Expect L.A.’s New ‘Mansion Tax’ to Chill Development Market
A new real estate transfer tax won the approval of L.A. voters after being promoted as a “mansion tax.” No some real estate and development experts are saying that the new transfer tax will have a much broader impact on the real estate market.
Human Movement, Captured by a 'Very Clear' Mathematical Law
The "universal visitation law of human mobility" documented in a newly published study in Nature offers predictive power for urban mobility in addition to empirical validation of Central Place Theory.
Cleveland Wanted Townhomes, What it Got Was 'Slot Homes'
Members of the Cleveland Chapter if the American Institute of Architects are raising awareness about the unintended consequences of zoning changes made in 2018 to make it easier to develop townhomes in the city.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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