Some readers may be familiar with the TELECOM-CITIES listserv that I've run for the last ten years, sharing discussions about how information and communications technology is transforming cities and the process of urbanization. Once upon a time back in 1998, 1999, TELECOM-CITIES was an active community of researchers trying to figure out what fiber optics and cell phones and dot-com startups meant for the future of cities. Over the years, the list has maintained that focus, but growth of readership has been stagnant for years.
Some readers may be familiar with the TELECOM-CITIES listserv that I've run for the last ten years, sharing discussions about how information and communications technology is transforming cities and the process of urbanization. Once upon a time back in 1998, 1999, TELECOM-CITIES was an active community of researchers trying to figure out what fiber optics and cell phones and dot-com startups meant for the future of cities. Over the years, the list has maintained that focus, but growth of readership has been stagnant for years. My own postings to the list are, often as not, an afterthought or a rudimentary form of clipping. I've started to realize that the scope of the list is too narrow. Really what I'm interested in, and I think many of us are, is the future of cities in a world of advanced computing and telecommunications. I've also started to realize there are much better ways to share content and build community on the web today than there were 10 years ago when I chose the listserv platform.
For these reasons, I've launched the Future of Cities site at the Institute for the Future. The goal is to continue to share the kind of information we have on TELECOM-CTIES for the last 10 years, but to broaden the conversation beyond just information technology - though that will certainly remain an important driver of urban futures. The site will offer blogs like Planetizen's Interchange (in fact, it uses the exact same technology platform), but will also offer an array of other tools for sharing and publishing information:
- Del.icio.us links (tag stuff "futureofcities")
- Subscribe to RSS feed by email through FeedBlitz
- Post by email (just like the old listserv)
- RSS feed aggregator of global urban development news sources
My long-term goal is to connect these conversations to other work we're doing at the Institute for the Future, particularly our Ten Year Forecast Program's Global Ethnographic Network, which is tracking families in Brazil, Russia, India and China over a decade-long period. I also see this site as complementing the community here at Planetizen Interchange in three ways:first by focusing more on trends outside of traditional planning issues that have big impacts on cities (consumer trends, technology trends for example) and looking a little further out in time, second by being more global and bringing in many voices (both planners and others) from all corners of the world, and finally by developing a knowledge base of resources for students and researchers.
I also want to try to bring the Institute full circle to one of its founding goals - to improve the study of the future of cities. Ironically, I've discovered that during the first decade of the Institute for the Future, from 1968 to 1978, we received funding from the Ford Foundation and Wesleyan in Connecticut to create a center that would apply computational methods to urban problems and the study of the future of cities. (Urban simulation was the rage in the late 1960s, led by people like operations research pioneer Jay Forrester at MIT)
You are all invited to join the conversation, and please share thoughts on how to make the platform more useful.
The URL is http://cities.iftf.net
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
Shaping LA’s Future: Public Voting Opens for LA2050 Grants
The LA2050 Grants Challenge invites Angelenos to vote on the top issues facing Los Angeles, helping direct $3 million in funding to organizations working to build a more connected and resilient region.
Chicago Transit Agencies on Brink of Major Crisis
Without additional funding, regional transit agencies will be forced to cut services by 40 percent.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
