Industry observers are linking the emergence of place-based 3-D virtual worlds like Second Life, to the next generation of the Internet. IBM is the first major forunte 500 company to make a major investment in the technology.
"Second Life, where Reuters opened a bureau last month, is one of the best-known virtual worlds, with more than 1 million registered users and a well-established economy and currency. The equivalent of more than half a million U.S. dollars change hands there every day."
"...IBM has already established the biggest Second Life presence of any Fortune 500 company. It uses the world primarily for training and meetings but has also built a simulation of the Wimbledon tennis tournament..."
IBM reports that it is "already holding meetings and conducting development inside virtual worlds with about 20 major clients, including telecommunications and aerospace firms, a petroleum company that wants to use virtual worlds for training and 'a major grocer in the UK' that wants to build a virtual storefront that will allow consumers to buy real-world groceries online."
From a recent Wired Magazine feature on Second Life:
"The three main landmasses of Second Life -- Heterocera Atoll, the Main Continent, and the Southern Continent -- presently cover some 26,000 acres, almost twice the size of Manhattan. They are expanding as fast as new servers come online, and each server adds up to four 16-acre regions. Also growing is the number of private islands – 1,350 as of mid-August – that can be purchased by individuals for development. These choice destinations will give you an idea of what Second Life's industrious residents can create."
FULL STORY: IBM Accelerates Push into 3-D Virtual Worlds

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie