I recently downloaded and played around with a neat 3D modeling tool called Sketchup. @Last Software's SketchUp is a 3D modeling package intended to be used by architects and designers who need to quickly outline 3D ideas, but don't care for the difficulty of a CAD program, or the advanced features of a high-end 3D modeler. SketchUp's toolset is fairly simple, offering a Photoshop-like, two-column tool palette. SketchUp has also a very helpful grid guidance system, with multiple colors to guide you through the 3D orientation plans.
I recently downloaded and played around with a neat 3D modeling tool called Sketchup. @Last Software's SketchUp is a 3D modeling package intended to be used by architects and designers who need to quickly outline 3D ideas, but don't care for the difficulty of a CAD program, or the advanced features of a high-end 3D modeler.
SketchUp's toolset is fairly simple, offering a Photoshop-like, two-column tool palette. SketchUp has also a very helpful grid guidance system, with multiple colors to guide you through the 3D orientation plans. Layers can have assigned colors that enable the user to see layer assignments in the model. This feature is helpful because the user can identify model modifications in geometry easily through this interface. For example, if a surface is modified, with one of the tools such as the push/pull, tool, all the planes adjacent to the customized surfaces also change.
Planners and architects can benefit greatly from the "Urban Model"-feature by constructing basic buildings to their appropriate dimensions. Using "push/pull"-functions you can move surfaces increasing or reducing the building footprint. Slap on textures and you have a semi-realistic looking model. I downloaded the demo software and was up and running without much instruction - ended up building a decent looking replica of our old Victorian house house. With past work in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy I was particularly excited to discover Sketchup's feature that allows visualizing the shadow created by a building or model. The time of day for shadow casting can be set, including day of the year and daytime.
Most importantly, in my mind, the new release allows the user to export directly into ArcGIS 9's visualization extension. This means planners and GIS users now have an easy to use tool to bring buildings into their 3D analyst fly-throughs.

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
