Exclusives

BLOG POST

<p> What&#39;s better than <a href="/node/38227">Twitter in the city</a>? An iPhone. With a connection to the Internet, built-in camera, location-awareness, 3-access accelerometer and colorful display, the Apple iPhone has become much more than a mobile phone: it&#39;s a sophisticated mobile computing platform. Combine this technology with a library of thousands of programs and growing ecosystem of developers, the iPhone is powerful and versatile tool to transform how people interact with their surroundings. </p> <p> A growing number of iPhone apps are taking advantage of the phone&#39;s functionality to allow people to navigate, measure, observe, and interact with cities in new ways. This post describes some I have come across for e-government, urban sensing and interaction, and navigation. First, a caveat: I don&#39;t actually own one of the devices myself and haven&#39;t tested the apps (yet). I&#39;ve certainly missed many, so leave your favorites in the comments below. </p>

September 7 - Robert Goodspeed

FEATURE

Susanna Diaz reviews a new book covering the history and thought of urban planning in Brazil, edited by Profs. Vicente del Rio and William Siembieda of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

September 3 - Vicente del Rio

BLOG POST

<span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri"> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">Location, location, location. Choosing a smart home location can help households become healthy, wealthy and wise, since it affects residents’ physical activity levels, long-term financial burdens and opportunities for education and social interaction. </span> </p>

September 2 - Todd Litman

BLOG POST

<div class="content"> <p> Forbes just came up with another of its “Most X City” surveys. This week, it listed the most stressful cities (<a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/20/stress-unemployment-homes-lifestyle-real-estate-home-values-stressful-cities_slide.html?partner=msnhealth" title="http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/20/stress-unemployment-homes-lifestyle-real-estate-home-values-stressful-cities_slide.html?partner=msnhealth">http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/20/stress-unemployment-homes-lifestyle-rea...</a> ). Nearly all of Forbes’ criteria, however, are silly in one respect or another. </p>

September 2 - Michael Lewyn

BLOG POST

<p> With the semester starting, students are beginning to focus on assignments and other project work. Today there is a great deal of information available for planners, but that can lead students to be overwhelmed (and use only a few available sources) or uncertain about how to use those sources that are available. Fortunately universities are coming up with resources to help students untangle these issues. My own institution just launched the very helpful <a href="http://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu" target="_blank">http://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu</a>/. The following tips are adapted from my guide for students doing final projects and theses (link at the end of this entry). </p>

August 31 - Ann Forsyth

FEATURE

August 31 - Amber Hawkes

BLOG POST

<p> Planetizen readers, I have an idea I&#39;d like your opinion on. As managing editor for the past year, I&#39;ve become increasingly aware of how skilled and professional our readers are. Comments on articles are almost always civil, engaging and thoughtful, something that can&#39;t be said for the majority of websites. We have a community of experts here, which is why I bring my idea to you. </p>

August 31 - Tim Halbur

BLOG POST

<p> Yogi Berra said that.  I also recall someone saying at some conference on smart growth or new urbanism: the more cars sharing the road, the more people get frustrated (hence all the car ads of people driving with no other cars in sight), while the more people on a well designed sidewalk, the more we tend to like it.  </p>

August 30 - Ken Snyder

FEATURE

The future of architecture is in its expression as city structure, not just as buildings, and in its self-conscious ecological awareness, says architect Richard Register.

August 27 - Richard Register

BLOG POST

<p> <span><span style="font-size: x-small">One reason why buses are less popular than trains is buses&#39; lack of &quot;legibility</span></span><span><span style="font-size: x-small">&quot;</span></span><span><span style="font-size: x-small">: the ability of an occasional passenger to figure out how to get somewhere by bus. While subway or light rail passengers can look at a system map (which is usually present on a station wall) and figure out that a train to destination X shall arrive at their station reasonably soon, bus passengers typically have to invest time in getting schedules, and then pray that the schedule has not changed.<br /> </span></span> </p>

August 26 - Michael Lewyn

BLOG POST

<p> &nbsp; </p> <p> In 1979, the City of San Diego launched a plan to steer new development into the craftsman-lined neighborhoods close to downtown.   The idea was sound:  scatter higher density housing throughout existing smart growth communities. 

August 25 - Diana DeRubertis

FEATURE

August 24 - Fanis Grammenos

BLOG POST

<p> The recently released report, <a href="http://www.movingcooler.info/">Moving Cooler: Transportation Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions</a>, which recommends various VMT reduction strategies (also called mobility management, transportation demand management, TDM), has <a href="/node/39945">raised debate concerning the best way to reduce climate change emissions</a>. Critics argue that that reducing vehicle travel is difficult and costly to consumers and the economy, and instead support strategies that change vehicle design (increased energy efficiency and alternative fuels).

August 20 - Todd Litman

FEATURE

Julia Galef reviews <em>Urban Design for an Urban Century: Placemaking for People</em> by Lance Jay Brown, David Dixon, and Oliver Gillham.

August 20 - Julia Galef

BLOG POST

<p> A few years ago, someone asked me the following question (loosely paraphrased) on a listserv: “Since the most tradition-minded* religious Jews are required by Jewish law to walk to synagogue on Sabbaths and holy days (and thus presumably prize walkability) why aren’t they a major market for new urbanist developments?” At the time, I didn’t have a coherent answer. But now that I know more about both traditional Jews and new urbanism, I do. </p>

August 17 - Michael Lewyn

FEATURE

August 17 - Nate Berg

BLOG POST

<p> <img src="http://postcarbon.org/files/highrise-turbines3_300h.jpg" alt="Wind turbines atop Portland high-rise." hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right" />When we moved the <a href="http://www.postcarboncities.net">Post Carbon Cities</a> office to downtown Portland I was thrilled to get a bird&#39;s-eye view of the downtown streetcar, the first new streetcar line built in the US since World War II. This morning I got a new history-making treat out my window: <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/08/innovative_wind_turbines_to_to.html">four wind turbines</a> mounted yesterday on a new high-rise, among the first such urban wind projects in the country. </p>

August 14 - Daniel Lerch

FEATURE

Zoning is often portrayed as the great evil of city planning, but Les Pollock of Camiros argues that we shouldn't dismiss the power of zoning to create great communities.

August 13 - Leslie S. Pollock, FAICP

BLOG POST

<p> <span style="color: #4f4f4f; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'"><span style="font-size: small">For serious transportation policy wonks lately every day is like Christmas.<span>  </span>Climate change, bailout, deteriorating infrastructure, reauthorization, aging baby boomers, bailout, stimulus, new administration, economic development, global competition, urban redevelopment, bailout, etc.<span>  </span>One has all they can do to just keep up with all the relevant news and positioning say nothing of understanding it.<span>  </span>In fact, I don’t understand it.<span>  </span></span></span><span style="color: #4f4f4f; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'"><span style="font-size: small"> </span></span><span style="color: #4f4f4f; font-family: 'Lucida San

August 12 - Steven Polzin

BLOG POST

<span style="font-size: x-small"> <p> I&#39;m sure much will be written on the observations and learning&#39;s from the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Winter Olympics and Paralympics process - at least once all those working tirelessly on it have had some time to catch our breath after next year&#39;s monumental event. As you can imagine, we&#39;re already inundated with visitors, questions and critiques, and we still have months to go and much hard work to do. </p>

August 12 - Brent Toderian