Humor

Friday Funny: Crossing the Street in Vietnam Takes Gumption

What crosswalk? Watch this man effortlessly synchronizes his steady gait with the oncoming cavalry of cars, buses, and motorcycles as he crosses a busy street in Vietnam. If there is fear, he sure does a great job not showing it.

August 19, 2011 - YouTube

Grand Rapids Goes Glee

After landed No. 10 on MainStreet.com's "America's Dying Cities" list earlier this year, Grand Rapids, Mich., shows the world that the city is anything but. Its citywide rendition of Don McLean's classic gets almost 4 million hits on YouTube to date.

August 5, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Friday Funny: America's Declining Infrastructure Repels Al Queda

An Al Queda spokesperson says that they refuse to attack any U.S. bridges or any part of the transportation system because they're already in such a poor state no one will notice.

July 29, 2011 - The Onion

Nissan Leaf, You Had Me at Hello

In the opening monologue of The Colbert Report, late-night comic Stephen Colbert mocks what appears to be another installment of "The Value of Zero" campaign for the all-electric, zero-emissions Nissan Leaf.

July 29, 2011 - AutoBlog

Bringing Absurdity to Urbanism

An interview with REBAR design collective, creators of PARK(ing) Day, about using humor and absurdity to advance ideas for improving cities.

July 23, 2011 - Next American City

Worst-Dressed U.S. Cities

Sprawl is so last season. GQ ranks the "most sartorially-challenged metropolises in the greater United States" based solely on the five-letter S-word rarely mentioned in planning: Style.

July 16, 2011 - GQ

Belgians Create "the Architectural Equivalent of A Mullet"

A post at Fast Company describes the House in the Outskirts of Brussels as business in front and a party in back. (SEE IMAGES).

July 7, 2011 - Fast Company

Friday Funny: Keepin' it Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot

DJDave, aka David Wittman, spoofs L.A. culture and the politics of the parking lot in this clever video.

June 17, 2011 - YouTube

Ticketed For NOT Riding In The Bike Lane

New York City cyclist Casey Neistat got ticketed $50 by the NYC police for riding outside the bike lane - which may in fact not be illegal, but tell the officer and judge that.

June 13, 2011 - YouTube

Friday Funny: The Totalitarian Utopianism of Smurfs

A new book by researcher Antoine Buéno looks at the cartoon and comic book characters the Smurfs as an example of a totalitarian regime with utopian goals.

June 10, 2011 - Der Spiegel

Smell Flowers, Not Smoke in New York Public Parks

The NY Times sent an investigative reporter to Bryant Park to test the new city regulation banning smoking in parks and finds non-smoking park-goers incredibly tolerant toward smoking violations while smokers appear compliant with the regulation.

May 30, 2011 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region

Friday Funny: How to Pick Up an Urban Planner

Cartoonist Emily says that urban planners are "some of the sexiest, smartest, wittiest individuals you'll ever meet," and offers these tips for sly pickup lines that can't miss with the planning crowd.

May 27, 2011 - Tim Halbur

Seeking Suburbia's Future in Its Past

A group of urban designers and architects descends on the ur-suburbia of Levittown. Alison Arieff writes that the urban academics doodled in the margins rather than serious tackle the issues raised by the suburban way of life.

May 9, 2011 - The New York Times

Friday Funny: Big Wheel vs. NYC Bus (VIDEO)

Comedian Mark Malkoff set out to demonstrate the state of public bus transit in NYC by racing a city bus while riding a child's tricycle.

April 8, 2011 - Streets Blog

As Permitting Rebounds, Planning Department Forced to Replace Automated System With Human

Building permits have surprisingly picked up in the city of Townsville, Indiana, forcing the city's planning department to replace its automated telephone response system with an actual human staffer.

April 1, 2011 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

New York Bike Lane Advocates and Opponents Unite Against Shared Enemy: Pedestrians

Bicyclists and drivers in New York City have been at each others' throat in recent months as the city installs new bike lanes throughout the city. After many bitter words, the former foes have joined forces against a new enemy: people on foot.

April 1, 2011 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Unable to Distribute High Speed Rail Money, LaHood Throws Awesome Party

As state officials turn down or return federal money intended for high speed rail projects, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood used this seemingly unwanted funding to throw an epic party in Las Vegas.

April 1, 2011 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

New Ben & Jerry's Flavor Released: Janette Sadik-Pecan

Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's has released a new flavor inspired by New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

April 1, 2011 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Landscape Urbanists and New Urbanists to Settle Debate After Class, Behind the Gym

After months of debate over which ideology should guide the future of cities and urban development, New Urbanists and Landscape Urbanists at Harvard University are planning to settle the argument with a fistfight.

April 1, 2011 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

PR Consultant Re-Brands Shrinking City as 'Taking a People Diet'

With the recent announcement that Detroit's population has declined nearly 25% over the last decade, the city has hired a public relations specialist who promptly denied any problems in the city, arguing that it is simply on a "people diet".

April 1, 2011 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

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