Jacob Aron reports on the promising new software developed by an international group of researchers that can recognize "what makes Paris look like Paris."
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and INRIA in Paris have written software that can recognize the unique architectural features that can distinguish one city from another.
According to Aron, "The researchers selected 12 cities from across the globe and analysed
10,000 Google Street View images from each. Their algorithm searches
for visual features that appear often in one location but infrequently
elsewhere...It turns out that ornate windows and balconies, along with unique blue-and-green street signs,
characterise Paris, while columned doorways, Victorian windows and
cast-iron railings mark London out from the rest. In the US, long
staircases and bay windows mean San Francisco, and gas-powered street
lamps are scattered throughout Boston."
According to the researchers, "The discovered visual elements can also support a variety of
computational geography tasks, such as mapping architectural
correspondences and influences within and across cities, finding
representative elements at different geo-spatial scales, and
geographically-informed image retrieval."
The team will present their work
at the SIGGRAPH graphics conference in Los Angeles in August.
FULL STORY: Software knows what makes Paris look like Paris

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

EPA Awards $267 Million to Clean Up and Reuse Contaminated Sites
The EPA is investing the funds to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites nationwide, supporting economic growth, community revitalization, and environmental restoration.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway
The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot
The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions