Technology

A new building at a Mexico City hospital has been screened with an advanced, and quite attractive, tile that breaks down the harmful pollutants in smog into less toxic substances, reports Zak Stone.

March 28, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Alan Feuer profiles the work of New York City's Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, a "geek squad of civic-minded number-crunchers" turning the city's trove of digital data into actionable information.

March 25, 2013 - The New York Times

How well could today's futurists predict how everyday life will change by 2038? This was the task that the Los Angeles Times Magazine embarked on in 1988. A class of graduate students at USC has been looking into which predictions came true.

March 24, 2013 - Los Angles Times

What will it take to greatly reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles? Efficiency, alternative fuels, and strong governmental policies reports the National Research Council. And it will be highly unlikely.

March 22, 2013 - The Daily Climate

A growing "sand scandal" in Shenzhen may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the quality of concrete used in constructing China's skyscrapers. The construction of what was to have become the country's tallest building has been halted.

March 22, 2013 - Wired UK

Mark Wilson looks at the NY MTA's plan to install 90 touch-screen kiosks at subway stations around the city beginning this year. The innovative kiosks will offer rider information, interactive maps, and will even be able to run third-party apps.

March 20, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Design

Over the course of the year, the editors of Planetizen review and summarize thousands of articles, books, studies and editorials related to planning and urban development. Here are our picks for the most notable planning trends of the past year.

March 19, 2013 - Jonathan Nettler

For a number of reasons, the use of wood for the construction of large buildings fell out of favor more than a century ago. So why is one Vancouver-based architect arguing for constructing high-rises using one of nature's oldest building materials?

March 19, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

At a visit to the Argonne National Laboratory today, President Obama was expected to unveil his plan to spend $2 billion in oil and gas revenues "to find ways to replace hydrocarbons as the primary fuel for the nation’s cars, trucks and buses."

March 15, 2013 - The New York Times

While experts opine on what the city of the future will look like, Santander "has surged to the forefront of those aspiring to be smart." With 10,000 sensors collecting data and a custom app serving residents, the city is showing how smart is done.

March 15, 2013 - Spiegel Online

Japan is looking to unleash a new source of natural gas in the same way that fracking and horizontal drilling has revolutionized natural gas drilling in the U.S. It's called methane hydrate or 'flammable ice', and is the most prevalent energy source.

March 15, 2013 - The New York Times

We're likely witnessing the beginning of the slow decline of a technology that's defined our transportation and land use policies for a century - the private car. Emily Badger explains how unnoticed events produce socio-technical transitions.

March 14, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Providence, Rhode Island's vision for improving early childhood literacy has been selected as the winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayor's Challenge, a nationwide contest seeking innovative and replicable ideas for improving cities.

March 13, 2013 - The New York Times

Still under construction 130 years after it was designed by architect Antoni Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia is the longest running architectural project in the world. On Sunday, "60 Minutes" looked at how modern technology is aiding its completion.

March 12, 2013 - The Verge

After a decade of waiting, today's the day planning geeks have been waiting for. SimCity has arrived! To celebrate, Fast Company has assembled "some of the most interesting urban thinkers...to see who would make the best fake metropolis."

March 5, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

The Spanish city of Pontevedra has developed an innovative, and attractive, map of pedestrian connections based on the color-coded subway maps common to cities around the world; burnishing its reputation as "a leader in walker-friendly urban policy."

March 5, 2013 - POLIS

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is looking to technology to help Americans learn more about fair housing practices and make it easier to file complaints about discrimination.

March 5, 2013 - The Washington Post

Brian Merchant describes the key initiatives intended to make the ex-Soviet nation "the best place in the world to buy and drive an electric car."

March 3, 2013 - Motherboard

Two reports claim wildly opposite views on where the current shale gas boom is headed. David Hughes, a Canadian geologist and fellow of the Post Carbon Institute disputes projections of energy independence. A Univ. of Texas study confirms the boom.

March 2, 2013 - The Tyee

This week, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced the recipients of $9 million in funding aimed at utilizing technology to get people "more deeply engaged in community life." The announcement was not without controversy.

February 27, 2013 - Knight Blog