big data
Making Sense of Median Rent Statistics
Amid the ubiquitous, and inconsistent, reportage on rising rents and housing prices, a guide from City Observatory helps point readers toward the most accurate numbers.
How Not to Measure Traffic Congestion, Redux
The 2015 Inrix Traffic Scorecard provides less useful information about traffic problems than previous editions, as discussed in this City Observatory Commentary.
Los Angeles Metro and Lyft Considering a Data Sharing Partnership
Metro, the transit agency for Los Angeles County, could be the first to peak under the hood at trip data generated by Lyft.
Facebook Is Mapping the World's Buildings
A mapping project lead by Facebook's Connectivity Lab is gathering data from all over the atmosphere, and beyond, to make a comprehensive map of the world's buildings.
Data Plus Community: A Winning Formula for Green Infrastructure
These days, Big Data is the topic at hand, but Arup's Vincent Lee says data analysis can only go so far. He uses his work on the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program to illustrate why a "human element" is crucial to finding solutions.
It Is Now Next to Impossible to Reside Anonymously in a Big City
It is now next to impossible to reside anonymously in a modern city. Why? Because data anonymization itself is almost impossible without using advanced cryptography. Our every transaction leaves a digital marker that can be mined by anyone...
An Online Portal for Making Sense of Toronto Traffic Data
With so many potential sources of data with which to analyze traffic behaviors and real-time conditions, University of Toronto engineers have created an online portal that could one day help drive a system populated with autonomous cars.
Waze Index Ranks Driver Satisfaction
One of the world's most popular navigation apps, Waze, has aggregated the data generated by 50 million users to develop a "Driver's Satisfaction Index." Perhaps surprisingly, auto-oriented Phoenix, Arizona leads all cities on the index.
Comparing How People in 12 Global Cities Ride Their Bikes
The workout-tracking app Strava provided generous access to its data to allow a compare and contrast exercise in how people ride bikes in 12 of the most famous cities in the world.
How the 'Internet of Things' Is Changing City Operations
The potential of "Smart Cities" is still very much under negotiation. Data-Smart City Solutions at Harvard University surveyed what cities are doing so far to take advantage of the Internet of things.
How Data Privatization Will Change Planning Practice
Planners will be presented with new challenges and opportunities in a new era of data-enhanced government.
Resources for the Emerging Field of Urban Science
As city planners we are increasingly recording, measuring, and organizing city data—a practice known as urban science. Learn about resources across the globe helping to better understand our cities.
Why Google's 'Sidewalk Labs' Is Such a Big Deal
Earlier in June, Google announced the creation of an "urban innovation company" called Sidewalk Labs. One writer explains the genesis of the company as well as its potential for the future of how cities operate.
The Early History of the 'Smart Cities' Movement—in 1974 Los Angeles
An article in Boom: A Journal of California extends the timeline of "smart cities" and "big data" efforts by a considerable amount—all the way back to the late 1960s.
Urban Big Data: Where is the Signal in the Noise?
Amid growing skepticism, an international gathering examines the useful benefits for an age of critical urban challenges.
New App Shares Connected Car Data to Government, Businesses
This is what "smart cities" technology looks like: A new product called Inrix Insights offers planners and businesses a platform by which to access the data created by the use of connected cars.
Fitness Apps Are the New Planning Tool
Many smartphone users have a fitness app that they use to track their routes and progress on fitness goals. The data in these apps is a gold mine for planners, helping lead to better infrastructure investments.
A History of 'Urban Dashboards' and their Impact on City Governance
Welcome to the age of "Dashboard Governance"—when a good user interface offers the potential for performance advantages to city management.
Poking around the New York Subway for Germs
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have spent the last 18 months scouring the New York Subway in the search for a DNA profile of the system. They even created a map of the 15,152 microbes they found.
Private Cellphone Data and the Next Frontier of Urban Planning
A survey of the quickly broadening reach of data about the movement of traffic reveals the next step necessary to achieve congestion nirvana: unfettered access to private cell phone data.
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
