Planners in Acton, Massachusetts used Second Life as a pr and outreach tool to engage citizens in planning a key commercial area.
Local planners worked with Justin Hollander of Tufts University and Ann Sussman of openNeighborhood to organize and create the Second Life planning process.
From a final report prepared by Tufts on the project:
"The [Second Life] model allowed users to explore the existing conditions of Kelley's Corner and fly over the neighborhood, while at the same time interacting with other Acton citizens who may also be logged onto the site simultaneously. After exploring the virtual model, users were invited to visit the Village Design Center, a futuristic looking structure placed at the edge of the neighborhood by the OpenNeighborhood team."
FULL STORY: Second Life Offers New Life
Friday Fun: Touring 12 Famous Museums from Home
Most museums are closed during the pandemic, but you can still visit them virtually from the comfort of your home thanks to Google Arts & Culture.
Jane's Walks Adjusts to Social Distancing
The Jane's Walks festival take place the first weekend of May in cities all over the world. In 2020, social distancing will require a different format for the citizen-led group walk event.
The Holodeck is Real
Duke's Pratt School of Engineering has created a theater with projections on all four walls plus the ceiling and floor to create an immersive experience not unlike Star Trek's "holodeck" for architects to show clients their work before it is built.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont