Couldn't find what the perfect gift for the plannerd in your life? There's always next year.
Aarian Marshall reports about the development of a new video game called Manifold Garden that parlays architectural design and influence from Frank Lloyd Wright and Tadao Ando into a "metaphor for the last 400 years of physics."
Chicago-based video game designer William Chyr designed the game as a "world governed by a consistent bizarro-physics, where a player can walk up walls and ceilings and gravity is partially governed by colors," explains Marshall.
The article quotes Chyr to explain the premise: "You start learning about gravity, and you expand into learning about the shape of the universe."
"This is innovative stuff, but Chyr says he hopes anyone who knows how to operate a joystick or keyboard can enjoy his game," writes Marshall. "Manifold Garden hits a PC or Playstation 4 near you sometime in 2016."
Read the full story: A Video Game That Explores the Physics of Architecture
USDOT is hiring thousands of gamers for air traffic control jobs
Sec. Duffy says the FAA has reached 94% of its staffing goal for air traffic controllers.
Children in 55 countries are redesigning their cities in Minecraft
A U.N.-backed program lets students and community members reimagine sites in their neighborhoods in the game — and translate them into real-life buildings.
10 urbanist video games that aren’t Sim City
Sim City may have inspired an entire generation of urban planners — but these games have perfected the art of city-building simulation.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking
New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.
To power data centers, Utah company may build hundreds of nuclear reactors on state land
In its permit application, Valar asked for the county to confirm that changes within its outlined plan would still be covered by the permit.
San Antonio is using environmental review to stall ICE detention center
San Antonio sued last month to pause work on the new detention center until the federal government studied its effect on the surrounding area.
Austin plans light rail extension — before breaking ground on light rail
The planned extension is three miles long and will take riders straight to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Charlotte
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello