Technology
How Facebook Simulates Suburbia: Lessons for Building Public Spaces in the Digital Age
As the virtual and physical worlds become more intertwined, the role of the traditional architect and the information architect become more closely aligned. Emily Badger explores the ways that each discipline can help the other design public spaces.
Trucks & Trains Turn Toward LNG to Lower Costs
Just as the power industry turned toward lower priced natural gas and away from dirtier coal, there are signs that trucks and trains are looking to lower priced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace diesel-powered vehicles, but there are challenges.
The Global TechniCity
Tom Sanchez (Virginia Tech) and I decided to offer a free course to a global audience. The response has been phenomenal with more than 17,000 people participating. Learn about what the globe has to say about technology in cities.
Lighting Revolution Produces Radiant Visions of Our Future
The technological advances transforming "Edison’s 130-year-old industry" promise to revolutionize the way light is integrated in our homes, workplaces, and cities.
Driverless Cars Are Coming, But They'll Bring Congestion and More Fuel Consumption
Although driverless vehicles are being touted for their potential to reduce congestion and fuel consumption, among other benefits, Casey B. Mulligan argues they'll actually induce the reverse.
Why the New Digital Displays at Your Train Stop Are Already Out of Date
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is making it possible for transit riders to get updated schedule information simply by waving their phones at "smart tags." Are digital displays doomed?
Children of the Past Envision the City of Tomorrow
How did childhood visions of future cities differ for kids growing up in the 1980s when compared to the 1960s or today? Matt Novak shares a short film from 1983 that captures the prescient urban visions of students.
2013: A Banner Year for Bike Share
No less than eighteen U.S. cities are expected to launch bike-share systems this year, a fifty percent increase over the number currently in operation. An infographic from bike sharing consultancy BikeShare.com details the new programs.
Understanding Trends from the APA Conference
Every year we analyze all of the tweets from the APA Conference and tell you about the trends in planning. With more than 1,000 people tweeting from the APA Conference, there is a lot of great ideas, links, and blogs that we can all learn from.
Incubator Provides Bridge for Civic Startups
Google is teaming with Code for America to help transition the most promising ideas from the civic tech group's fellows into viable businesses.
The Invisible Answer to Bike Helmet Hair
Developed by industrial designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, the Hovding is an "invisible bicycle helmet" that may be the key to unlocking anxiety over mandatory helmet laws.
Finding Parking in New York About to Get a Lot Easier
With a new pilot program, New York City is joining the growing list of cities launching apps to connect drivers to public parking spaces. A new app, called PayByPhone, will let drivers find and pay for parking from their phones.
Digital Urban Planning: Take Control of Your City's Digital Future
How much of a role does your city play in controlling its digital representation? Colin Wood examines the efforts of Louisville's director of innovation to link the city's assets digitally and integrate them with the prevailing platforms.
The Paradox of the EPA's Clean Fuel Rules
The EPA's newly proposed rules to reduce sulfur in gasoline may have the perverse effect of making alternative vehicles, that is, those that don't run on gasoline, less competitive with conventional vehicles and ensure that we remain addicted to oil.
How Will 3D Printing Change the World's Cities?
Shrinking ports, less noxious trucks on our roads, and more self-sufficient towns. Neal Peirce describes the changes that 3D printing may bring to our lives. Will it be comparable to "the steam engine, the light bulb, atomic energy, the microchip?"
How a 75-year-old Courthouse Became the GSA's Paragon of Sustainability
Chris Bentley explains how San Antonio's Beaux Arts federal courthouse became an unlikely paragon of the GSA's sustainability efforts while balancing a sensitive historic renovation.
Friday Eye Candy: The World's Oldest Aerial Photo
Ever wonder what downtown Boston looked like on the eve of the Civil War? This photograph taken from a hot air balloon by James Wallace Black is thought to be the oldest aerial photo still in existence. Google Earth eat your heart out.
Can an Upstart Mapmaker Beat Google and Microsoft at Their Own Game?
Glenn Fleishman profiles MapBox, whose 30 employees are taking on the big boys in the development of interactive street and satellite maps. The company is working with Charlie Loyd to develop "the most beautiful, clean map ever made."
Santa Clara's Smart Solution for Providing Free Wi-Fi
The city of Santa Clara is piggybacking on the installation of connected, smart utility meters to blanket the city in a publicly accessible, free, wireless network.
Can Gamification Bring New Voices to the Planning Process?
A new Internet-based game hopes to expand the allure of civic engagement by making planning playful. Trial runs in Detroit and Salem, Massachusetts have already shown promise in attracting new voices to the planning process.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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
