An article in Quartz laments the underwhelming results of a generation of gadgets intended to make houses technologically enabled.
Mike Murphy begins with a compendium, of sorts, of the public record on the poor performance of so-called "smart home" gadgets, intended to tap homes into the internet of things and turn them into futuristic models of efficiency. Among the examples of the failures of this ambition: a glitch in the Nest learning Thermostat that left many homeowners out in the cold and the demise of Revolv, a home automation hub, which left customers holding the bag.
Murphy notes some of the ridiculous Internet of things applications available at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January, and produces the following summation: "Perhaps we shouldn’t be entrusting basic functions of our houses and lives to technology that just isn’t yet fully realized, made by companies that haven’t proven their viability."
FULL STORY: Don’t bother trying to make your dumb house smart
Amazon's First Forays Into Homebuilding Are Worth Watching
A new player with a very familiar name has entered into the residential homebuilding market.
Google Invites Itself into Your Home
It's already conquered phones and the Internet, and is moving rapidly into the automotive world, but Google's $3.2 billion purchase of smart device maker Nest provides the company with entree into the "connected home" market.
Smart Cities and Utilities: Enhancing Energy Efficiency Through IoT Integration
Learn how IoT integration in utilities is boosting energy efficiency in smart cities, aiding urban planners in sustainable development.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service