Will Wright developed the remarkably popular computer game, 'The Sims' -- a combination of divine architect and urban planner.
"It's easy to feel good about The Sims. Children adore it and parents approve: not simply because it is constructive and repays long-term planning, but because playing God has its responsibilities.
...When he sold SimCity to Electronic Arts, the financial security allowed Wright - now obsessed by the ideas of the architectural design guru Christopher Alexander, author of A Pattern Language, and devouring works such as Abraham Maslow's Motivation and Personality and Paco Underhill's Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping - to concentrate on an idea he had been toying with since 1994: a kind of virtual doll's house, the idea that would eventually become The Sims."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Sims like us
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
EV Chargers Now Outnumber Gas Pumps by Nearly 50% in California
Fast chargers still lag behind amidst rapid growth.
Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks
HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.
Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?
USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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