Since arriving in Vancouver, I've realized that we are part of a "peer group" of international water cities. Through waterfront design conferences where the same cities seem to get invited time and time again, or through deeper and more interactive collegial opportunities for shared learning such as summits or study trips, these global water cities are taking every opportunity to learn from each other's successes and failures around water-edge planning and design.
Humor
Friday Funny: Mistranslation Ends Up on Road Sign
In Swansea, U.K., planners requested a translation via email of a road sign into Welsh. What they got back was not quite what they expected.
BBC News
Spooky Friday: Top 10 Scary Places
The Bermuda Triangle tops this list of spooky places, but the compendium also includes the Pirate House of Savannah and Colorado's Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for The Shining.
MSN
Friday Funny: Cat Key to Town's Economic Development
A stray cat born and raised at a Japanese train station has been named its official stationmaster -- and become a tourist attraction that's successfully boosted the local economy by more than $10 million.
AFP
The Humble Beginnings of Mega Chain Stores
Where did today's biggest chain stores got their start? Roger Wade offers background and photos from fifteen mega-chains original locations, from from WalMart to Taco Bell.
BootsnAll Travel Network
Five Funny Planning YouTube Videos
Sat, 09/13/2008 - 11:27
As the summer winds down, here are a list of the five funniest urban planning videos I've found on YouTube over the years, covering news for Planetizen.
Aloha from Kauai
At the margin of creativity, video can inject commentary, advocacy, and even satire into planning. Activist Koohan Paik has gained notoriety for "Discover Kauai," a satirical look at the effects of sprawl on the Garden Island that sets images of big boxes and fast food outlets against Kauai's peaks, palms, and cultural traditions. "The video took the island by storm," says Paik. "It was a successful catalyst in galvanizing community action against development."
Friday Funny: Masking the Smells of Public Transit
Stinky trains may become a thing of the past in Berlin, where officials are sniff-testing new fragrances to mask the odors of public transit.
Der Spiegel
Friday Funny: Mayor Urges Ugly Women to Move to Town
Facing what he sees as an extreme gender imbalance, the mayor of an Australian town has urged ugly women to move into town, assuring them they'll be able to find a man.
AFP
Yellowstone National Park, 2011
This editorial cartoon from Mother Jones offers a look at a possible future for Yellowstone National Park.
Mother Jones
Small Town Apocalyptic Values
Josh Stephens reviews James Howard Kunstler's novel of post-peak oil existence, World Made By Hand.
Friday Funny: 'He's a Real Transit Freak'
A young Florida man apparently infatuated with public transit has managed -- on multiple occasions -- to steal buses and drive their routes picking up passengers.
The Miami Herald
Friday Funny: Twins Take Transit, Mess With People's Heads
Pranksters load up the New York subway with identical twins, surprising riders.
Urban Prankster
Chickens Aren't Just For Countrysides Anymore
Residents of Austin, TX are risking violation of city ordinances forbidding loud animals to raise chickens in their central city neighborhood backyards. It's partly a way to cut out-of-pocket expenses.
Austin American-Statesman
New Yorkers Commute IKEA Style
Lacking good public transit connections, residents of Red Hook, New York are taking advantage of the free bus and water taxi service recently launched by the Swedish retail giant to bring customers to its new store in the neighborhood.
New York Daily News
