Technology
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.
Mapping the Age of Every Building in Los Angeles
Developed using open data from local government sources, built: LA is a mapping tool that displays the age of every building in the county. Much of the area's built environment is surprisingly old.
Labor Ruling in California Means Big Changes for Uber's Business Model
A California labor commissioner has resolved a long-standing dispute over the employment status of Uber drivers. Uber and other transportation network companies will have to adjust.
Designing The Urban Technology Landscape
Urban planners need to go beyond environment and stakeholder input, taking a stronger role in the development of new technologies to design new urban futures rather than relying on software engineers.
Lack of Data Still Impedes Multi-Modal Trip Navigation
A call for all transportation agencies to open their data.
Google Launches its First Smart Cities Company: Sidewalk Labs
Google, already one of the most pervasive technology providers of urban experiences everywhere, has increased its bet on the smart cities movement.
Full-Scale 'SimCity' Will Be Tech Testing Ground
Devoid of a human population, the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation (CITE) is a planned, privately-operated trial lab for the smart city. The CITE design calls for a small, fully-functioning ghost town.
Looking for Inspiration? Try a Daily Dose of a Satellite's Perspective
Here's a strange idea that just might work: viewing the planet from afar might offer the perspective necessary to care for and protect our place in the universe.
The States Leading the Adoption of Electric Vehicles
A report from Navigant Research projects the growth of the domestic markets for plug-in electric vehicles. Spoiler: California dominates the list.
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.
Collecting Comments on a PDF Planning Document on the Web?
How do you collect public comments on a web-based PDF planning document? It should be simple. But it isn't.
New App Would Enable On-Demand Public Transit
As transportation network companies like Uber and Bridj make it easier for some to opt out of the public transit system, a new app would help transit agencies offer more user-centric services.
Imagining Neighborhoods Filled with 3D Printed Homes
Gensler, along with partners in China, is exploring ways to implement 3D printing technology. It's time for planners to start letting their imaginations run wild with possibilities.
Friday Eye Candy: 'Time-Lapse Mining' Reveals a Changing Planet
Someone's done the hard work of finding, sorting, and stitching together millions of photos from the Internet to create animated portraits of the evolution of places.
Google's Loss is LinkedIn's Gain in Silicon Valley
The city of Mountain View chose to allot most of the redevelopment rights in its much sought-after North Bayshore area not to the city's largest employer and taxpayer but to LinkedIn's more conventional proposal.
How 3D Laser Scanning Helped Save Earthquake Damaged Buildings in Napa
The 3D scan provided a safe and quick solution for potential restoration, rehabilitation, and preservation by capturing thousands of points a second and creates a virtual photograph of the object that it scans.
Positive Early Returns for Solar Bike Path
The performance of the world's first solar bike path in the Netherlands have so far exceeded expectations in its first six months of operation. Now the question becomes: What next?
Malcolm Gladwell on Transportation Safety
Looking at the history of car recalls, Gladwell recognizes a tension between the way engineers see malfunctions and how the public sees them. It's easy to blame the machine, but that doesn't always solve the problem.
Friday Eye Candy: Maps as Pop Art
A creative cartographer has created a series maps in the cartoon style of pop art.
Op-Ed: Microtransit Shouldn't Replace Public Transit
Halfway between public transit and private cars, new and varying forms of 'microtransit' threaten to out-compete traditional public services. Concerns about equity, inclusion, and employee compensation follow.
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
