A game encountered as a youth has brought many adults to the ranks of professional planning. What, then, is the legacy of the lessons offered by SimCity and its brethren?

Daniel Hertz describes the outsized impact of SimCity on the public awareness of the concepts of planning:
By making thousands and thousands of people plan commercial, industrial, and residential districts for their virtual towns, the creators of SimCity have probably done more than anyone in the history of the world to introduce basic principles of zoning to the public.
Now that SimCity has spawned several sequels, a version for tablets, and a rival game called Cities: Skylines, Hertz is much more prepared to mine the game for lessons. As Hertz puts it, he made some notes "on what a video game can teach us about the biases and blind spots of real-life urban planning in the US…"
The list, with a lot more detail in the article, includes the following:
- You must zone—and use single-use zoning.
- You must give cars primacy on the street.
- Parking doesn’t exist.
- It’s all about the built environment.
- There are no politics.
FULL STORY: What I learned playing SimCity

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
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