A tech writer had a chance to revisit SimCity 2000 after years away from the game for contemporary lessons in planning.
Neel V. Patel writes about lessons offered by a revisit to SimCity 2000, a source of obsession that launched many planning careers. According to Patel, the game feels "innocent" compared to the innovations and realizations that have taken place since the game was released. "SimCity 2000 arrived before the effects of climate change, before technology began to revolutionize city services, before the housing bubble popped, and before Uber," writes Patel.
Patel writes of the result of an experiment with two pre-made maps that task players with the effects of disaster scenarios. The first: flooding caused by rising sea levels in Charleston, South Carolina. The second, in typical SimCity style: an alien invasion of Atlanta.
Lessons taken from the experiment include the tendency of cities to rebuild with a goal of reliving former glory, rather than preparing for future needs.
FULL STORY: 'SimCity 2000' Teaches 2016 Urban Planners to Reconsider Rebuilding, Alien Attacks
New Planning Games Focuses on Consensus Building
A new game called Imaginable Guidelines invites participants to imagine, explore, discuss, and share their vision for the future.
Sunday Fun: New Video Game Explains Land Use Politics
We're not sure if planners will find this game, since it's so close to real life, but maybe it will make a good recommendation for friends and family members?
The Not-So-Great Lessons of SimCity
A game encountered as a youth has brought many adults to the ranks of professional planning. What, then, is the legacy of the lessons offered by SimCity and its brethren?
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.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.
New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.
Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
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