The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

BLOG POST

<p>Yes, we are all riding on the hype that Google Maps started, and the endless possibilities it provides. But looking at it from a planners/geographers perspective, are these possibilities really endless?</p><br /> <p>In the Directions magazine, Adena Schutzenberger points out:</p><br /> <p><a href="http://www.directionsmag.com/editorials.php?article_id=906">http://www.directionsmag.com/editorials.php?article_id=906</a></p><br /> <ul><br /> &nbsp;<i>...</i><i> these services (Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSN Earth&#x2026;.) give programmers all the tools they need to make maps. Indeed. It may be time again to explore that age old question: what&rsquo;s the difference between map making and GIS? The former is about presentation (&ldquo;a map is a representation of structure, and a structure is a set of elements and the relationships between them&rdquo;). While paper maps are not interactive, electronic maps may be, but that does not make them components of a GIS. GIS, its proponents argue, is more than just mapping; it&rsquo;s analysis; it&rsquo;s exploring what if; it&rsquo;s using models; it&rsquo;s developing more intricate visualizations</i>

August 25 - Ken Snyder

Despite criticism and delays, Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm pushes forward to make urban areas in Michigan attractive to young professionals.

August 25 - The Chicago Tribune

To catch polluters, the government is turning to volunteers with digital cameras.

August 25 - The Christian Science Monitor

In Lyon, France, an ambitious new public transportation program uses pedal power instead of gas.

August 25 - Wired

In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision on eminient domain, more and more Americans are concerned about their property rights.

August 25 - The Economist

A look at the role of parking lots in suburban youth culture.

August 25 - The New York Times

It turns out that the sky is not falling on cities, writes Carol Coletta in this week's Planetizen Op-Ed.

August 25 - Planetizen

As gas prices go up, what is the future for hybrid cars and other alternative fuels for cars?

August 25 - Democracy Now!

There has been a complete shift in population growth. Ninety-nine percent of population growth for the foreseeable future will be in developing countries.

August 25 - The San Francisco Chronicle

FEATURE

August 25 - Carol Coletta

John M. Eger writes about how the Internet can help us rethink our cities.

August 24 - Government Technology

The Gainesville City Commission rejected a measure that would have let Wal-Mart develop Northside Park.

August 24 - Gainesville Sun

Mark Alan Hughes writes that instead of fearing rising housing costs, the poor should benefit.

August 24 - The Philadelphia Daily News

One editor's solutions for Houston's unique challenges in embracing its population boom.

August 24 - The Houston Chronicle

Critics say slight increase in fuel effiency standards excludes large SUVs and trucks and provides loopholes for automakers to continue making gas guzzlers.

August 24 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Some critics say that 'mixed-use' districts aren't promoting enough diversity.

August 24 - The Washington Post

Study offers both current and historical contexts for understanding the evolution of city finances over the past thirty years.

August 24 - The Brookings Institution

Building homes for low income and special needs populations makes for good television, but not for long-term housing solutions.

August 24 - The Chicago Tribune

In the Evergreen State, parks and schools are replacing natural grass with artificial turf.

August 24 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Few institutions of higher learning apply their knowledge and resources directly to the problems of poverty and housing.

August 24 - The Courier-Journal