The Silicon Valley start-up devoted to reinventing the city made a splashy hire this week.
"Y Combinator’s ambitious New Cities project has a new leader today as Ben Huh, former CEO of The Cheezburger Network, joins the effort," reports John Mannes.
Y Combinator announced the New Cities project back in June, aiming "to take a fresh, entrepreneurial approach to city building," according to Mannes. Here Mannes again addresses the elephant in the room, regarding this start-up's approach to the practice of planning:
While the aim of the New Cities effort was almost certainly to inspire, the project’s announcement earlier this summer was met with criticism from many who poked fun at the initiative for trivializing the work of urban planners, whose job is to manage land use and plan next-generation infrastructure.
Y Combinator's decision to hire the former CEO of "a company that facilitated the creation and sharing of internet memes," has only fueled those criticisms.
No background in anything related to cities. Sounds promising! https://t.co/BlEXF3MoDz
— Market Urbanism (@MarketUrbanism) October 25, 2016
Spent years creating and sharing internet memes and so is uniquely qualified to build a city from scratch https://t.co/WavxTejnPi
— Allison Arieff (@aarieff) October 26, 2016
FULL STORY: Challenges face former Cheezburger CEO joining Y Combinator’s New Cities project
This Tech Company Wants to Build a Better City
There's no shortage of ambition from Silicon Valley startup accelerator and investment firm Y Combinator—which recently announced its intentions to build a prototype city.
San Francisco's 1971 Urban Design Plan Echoes Today's Concerns
A 1971 effort to quantify the city's values and design goals reflects many of the same priorities that planners and residents face today.
Why Tech-Utopian City Plans Fail
Like others before him, e-commerce billionaire Marc Lore wants to build the ideal city from scratch. Urban experts don't have much faith in his chances.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Surf’s Upcycling: Hawai‘i’s Latest Green Building Material is Recycled Surf Boards
“Surf Blocks” are fire-resistant, termite-proof, and close the loop on mountains of waste from the state’s beloved sport.
Building Age-Friendly Homes
Designing for the unique needs of elderly people can help them maintain social connections and mental acuity.
Nightlife and the 15-Minute City
Plans for compact, walkable cities often don’t address nighttime concerns like transportation and lighting, which can make neighborhoods more vibrant and safe around the clock.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service