Social Media
The Facebook for Neighborhoods
Meet Nextdoor, the social network based on proximity, inspired by the conclusion of Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone that neighborhood social networks make crime go down and test scores go up.
Top Urban Instagram Feeds
Marta Bausells and the readers of Guardian Cities collaborated to create a list of top Instagram photographers from around the world.
Raising the Level of the Social Media Design Conversation
Architecture Critic Alexandra Lange, in her first op-ed for Dezeen, calls on architects to make better use of social media than just as a tool for shameless self-promotion.
Exposing Black Friday's Parking Perversion
Parking lots across the U.S. are designed to accommodate the crowds of cars participating in the busiest shopping day of the year. By asking his readers to capture images of underutilized lots last Friday, Chuck Marohn set out to expose the fallacy.
New Pinterest Headquarters Favors Flexibility Over Tradition
The social media company Pinterest has a new home, in a converted 45,000-square-foot warehouse in San Francisco.
New Outreach Tools Reshape the Relationship Between Citizens and Government
Driven by an explosion of online tools, cities across the country are looking beyond the traditional public hearing to rethink how to increase citizen involvement in decision-making and reshape the relationship between citizens and government.
Have Internet, Will Travel—Just Not By Car
A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund looks at how innovations in technology and social networking are changing the country's transportation landscape, and contributing to the decline in driving.
Old School Strategies for Outreach and Communication
Looking to leverage cheap and easy social media tools to meet your citizen engagement mandate? Read. This. Now.
Four Ways That Technology is Transforming Civic Engagement
A new study from the Pew Research Center looks at the way digital technology is changing civic engagement. Nick Judd digs into the results and pulls out four intriguing trends.
Slackers No More, Generation X Redefines Governance and Outreach
As they move into positions of leadership in their communities and in the public sector, a generation once labelled as "slackers" is helping to change the relationship between governments and their citizens, reports Rob Gurwitt.
For Planners, Investment in Social Media Pays Dividends
With the right approach, social media can expedite the exchange of information between stakeholders, facilitate participatory planning, and build better places. Two case studies offer insight for using social media to connect with communities.
Social Connections and Resilience
Are we growing more connected, yet further and further apart? And how does this bode for the resilience of the communities we share? Scott Doyon finds promise as of yet unfulfilled.
The Promise and Perils of Modern Disaster Communications
During and after Sandy, transportation workers had the responsibility of informing riders of changing conditions and schedules. Ray Rivera compares the different communication approaches of New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Rail Road.
Chinese Government Responds to Growing NIMBYism
For the last 30 years, China has led the world in economic growth at a hefty environmental price. Widespread protests have prompted the cabinet of China to mandate a "social risk assessment" for industrial projects, reports Keith Bradsher.
Social Media Apps Put Ride Sharing on the Map
Ride share websites and mobile apps take the guesswork out of finding a ride and move social networking offline and onto the open road, fueling a revival of car-pooling, reports Mickey Meece.
Facebook's New Infographic: Where Are We 'Checking In'?
Tyler Falk reports on new data released by Facebook, mapping the top 5 "social landmarks" in 25 cities from Seoul to São Paulo.
How Designers Can Become Better Storytellers
Sarah Kathleen Peck speaks with Amanda Walter and Holly Berkley about their new book, "Social Media in Action," the challenges different design professions have in communicating their work, and the ways in which new technologies are making it easier.
Egypt's Social Media Takes On New Foe: Cairo's Traffic
After aiding in the dissolution of Egypt's authoritarian regime, social media is being enlisted to tackle a more formidable obstacle: easing its capital city's traffic, reports Noel King.
Social Media's Challenge to Planning
Michael M. Grynbaum reports on NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's dubious relationship with social media, and his unease with its tendency to shift the public discourse away from long-term thinking.
Does Your Local Economic Development Strategy Include Search Engines?
Nearly half of consumers now report that they look for local business information using the Internet, more than any other source.
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
