The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

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public tech art

I'm finding this a bit late but i really like some of the projects and their potential for further exploration. "<a href="http://www.spectropolis.info/index.php">Spectropolis</a> Mobile Media, Art and the City is a three-day event (October 1-3, 2004) in Lower Manhattan that highlights the diverse ways artists, technical innovators and activists are using communication technologies to generate urban experiences and public voice. The increasing presence of mobile communication technologies is transforming the ways we live, construct and move through our built environment.

March 1 - Scott Page

Creating An Atlas Of The Ancient World

The editor of the respected and expensive Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World is developing a free printed and online version of the maps so that they can continually reflect new archaeological discoveries.

March 1 - The Wall Street Journal

Is Mass Transit Feasible For L.A.?

The city's new Orange Line busway has made little system-wide impact; should the mayor continue to strive for more transit options, or is it time to give up?

March 1 - The New York Times

Fair Housing Law Could Backfire

A law intended to clarify non-discriminatory requirements for lenders -- and upping violation fines dramatically -- could actually scare banks away from doing any business in Montgomery County, Maryland.

March 1 - The Baltimore Sun

Street Hawkers Abound In Delhi

Millions of migrant workers make a living at intersections, many selling books and earning a tidy profit.

March 1 - International Herald Tribune


Mayor Rybak Pursues Smart Growth In Frozen North

Now in his second term, Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis has made housing, transit, and livability a priority both in Minneapolis and throughout the Twin Cities region.

March 1 - The Planning Report

'Peak Oil', Cuban Style

Cuba's experience with a dramatic decrease in energy supplies since the fall of the Soviet Union affords the rest of the world a glimpse of what the end of cheap oil might look like.

March 1 - Global Public Media


BLOG POST

Clean Air, Open Code

<img src="http://www.arb.ca.gov/images/arbheader1.gif" align="right" WIDTH="200" alt="California Air Resources Board" />I was interested to find <a href="http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/html/62/6296.html">this interview</a> with Bill Welt, the Chief Information Officer of the<a href="http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm">California Air Resources Board</a> (ARB), discussing with ARB is increasingly building models and applications using Open Source software. The interview appears on the <a href="http://www.madpenguin.org/">Mad Penguin</a>

March 1 - Chris Steins

Town Planning For Iraq

A UK based town planning agency has been asked to look at the future of Najaf in Iraq.

March 1 - BBC News

Electric Company Leads Downtown Revitalization Efforts

In rare form, a Mississippi electric company is taking the lead in the redevelopment process and producing a win-win situation for both the company and for the city of Jackson.

March 1 - Clarion Ledger

Newburyport: Evolving a Village

A New England seaside community considers a second village center; what characteristics will ensure its success?

March 1 - Newburyport Political Blog

Do Homeowners Associations Violate Free Speech?

Will a new bill help those entering the confusing legal labyrinth of homeowner associations, including some purported to force residents to sign away their constitutional rights?

February 28 - New Jersey Star-Ledger

Planning With Legos

University of Maryland researchers will conduct a series of visioning exercises to pick locations for future jobs and housing by placing Legos building blocks on a map. It's the latest trend in growth visioning exercises.

February 28 - The Baltimore Sun

California's Levees: Gov. Declares State Of Emergency

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger acts to protect California's crumbling levee system for the Sacramento Delta. Emergency status allows work to progress without waiting for environmental review.

February 28 - The Los Angeles Times

The Most Exciting City In East Asia

Without a doubt, Shanghai has surpassed Tokyo in terms of urban energy, buzz, and style.

February 28 - International Herald Tribune

An Asian Superpower Rises

With a booming economy, a population bursting with enthusiasm, and increased investment in infrastructure, the world's largest democracy is moving closer to the world's richest democracy, says Newsweek editor Fareed Zakaria.

February 28 - Newsweek

BLOG POST

All Play and No Work for Jack Makes Jill a Better Planner

Several years ago I was with a group of people who decided to approach the makers of SimCity to see if we could convince them to develop a similar but more credible tool for planners, enabling towns and their residents to look at real planning challenges and experiment with different scenarios in their own community. The response was a solid "no, we're not interested, we're interested in making games.”<br /> <br /> Can't blame them, considering the market for gamers is easily a thousand-fold greater than that for serious minded planners (not to mention realistic planning tools need real data to run credible analysis; imaginary cities don't).

February 28 - Ken Snyder

Britain's E-Trash A Growing Problem

Consumer electronics, with their ubiquity, rapid technological advances, ever-lower prices, and fashion trends, have never been easier to buy -- or throw away.

February 28 - The Independent

Downtown Winnipeg: Too Late To Save?

With its numerous abandoned buildings, stark divisions between wealth and poverty, and high (for Canada) crime rate, should Winnipeg re-evaluate its emphasis on downtown revitalization?

February 28 - The Globe and Mail

Baltimore's Central Light Rail Line -- Second Time A Charm?

Nearly all of the Maryland Transit Administration's Central Light Rail Line is now double tracked -- at long last.

February 28 - The Baltimore Sun

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City of Thousand Oaks

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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.