Fast Company recently recognized the best ideas in social impact.
Fast Company has announced the winners of the first-ever World Changing Ideas Awards. The magazine chose 12 winners out of 1,000 entrees and 192 finalists. "Each of these projects represents the best of social entrepreneurship, where innovation and impact are intersecting," according to the post announcing the winners.
Among the winners are several ideas of direct relevance to planners, planning, and communities of all sizes, such as:
- Fair Value Commuting, by Joint Venture Silicon Valley. This idea would create incentives for shared commuting "by aggregating mobility services like Lyft and Car2Go in a single platform, incentivizing employees to make use of those services by fining single-occupancy vehicle commuters (who will be tracked on real-time commute dashboard), and supporting better public transportation and bike infrastructure."
- Grid OS, by Opus One. According to Fast Company, Grid OS isn't a clean energy source: "It’s a better way of managing the impact of clean energy on the grid." Improvements are achieved by data analysis software that models distributed energy sources in real time, "bringing greater visibility 'inside' the grid." Grid OS aims to provide a key benefit to the expanding use of microgrids.
- Homes for Hope, by the USC School of Architecture and Madworkshop Homeless Studio. Students from the USC School of Architecture "designed modular houses that can be stacked and provide fast and simple housing to get people off the streets."
FULL STORY: Announcing The Winners Of The 2017 World Changing Ideas Awards
Report: 100 Trends Urban Planners Need to Know About
APA’s third annual Trend Report for Urban Planners is out and offers a comprehensive look at potential drivers of change that could impact communities and the work of planners for decades to come.
The Best, Worst, and Most Questionable in 2022 Architecture and Design
A list of innovative projects, intriguing design, and flummoxing failures.
Architecture and Design Awards for the Best and Worst of 2021
Two influential and erudite design critics continue an annual tradition.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
