Providing wifi on public transit and encouraging people to Check In with their smart phones are two of the three examples cities could implement to bring people closer together.
Though urbanist Peter Calthorpe explains that "'Technology matters, but I don't think it's a substitute for fundamental urban design,'" Mashable writer Chris Taylor gives examples to try and bridge the gap between technology and urban design:
"So you want to increase your city's walk score? Then give people more reasons to walk around, using the tools they already have in their pockets. Indeed, get them addicted to it. That dovetails nicely with the purpose of location-based checkin services like Foursquare and Gowalla. Merchants could get a small tax break for being active participants on these services, especially if their checkins came with information on where you can walk next."
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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.
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