Technology
6 Promising New Apps for Design Professionals
'Forget clipboards and cameras," says Heidi Moore. She spotlights six new apps (and five 'tried-and-tested' ones) that can solve your measuring, note-taking, and networking needs on your phone.
Nation's First VMT Fee Bill Passed By Oregon Legislature
If Gov. John Kitzhaber signs SB 810, as expected, Oregon will create a voluntary program for up to 5,000 motorists who will pay 1.5-cents for every mile they drive instead of the 30-cent state fuel excise tax.
Landmark Ruling Liberates California GIS Data
The California Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Sierra Club's quest to have publicly held GIS data made available for a nominal fee under the California Public Records Act.
The Great Repurposing: Envisioning the City of Driverless Cars
With driverless cars poised to appear in the not-too-distant future, planners and engineers are beginning to envision the effect on the urban landscape and the spaces within cars themselves. Nick Bilton shares some of the predictions.
Is the Civic Hackathon Trend Sustainable?
As more governments embrace civic hackathons as a way to tap enthusiastic young software developers quickly and cheaply, a backlash to these "app-developing marathons" is growing along with them. Does their local focus doom them to irrelevance?
Mapping Interest in All Things Zombie
The three geographers behind the Floating Sheep blog have created a world map of Internet references to zombies.
The Top Architecture Instagrammers
Looking for some design inspiration? The editors of ArchDaily have put together a list if the 25 top feeds to follow on Instagram.
Infrastructural Tourism Takes Off
Shannon Mattern examines how media scholars and environmental artists are working to reveal the material and immaterial infrastructures that shape our lives, from the Interstate to the Internet.
#TeslaCrash: Three reasons for Tesla (and all of us) to be concerned
Tesla has just disclosed the first fatal crash of a driver using its "Autopilot" system. Tesla should be concerned about the question of who's liable, and we should all be concerned about the wider consequences of this tragic event.
5 Glimpses Into the Future of Civic Engagement
Seeking to maximize the power of the Internet to expand public outreach efforts, a plethora of engagement platforms have proliferated in recent years. Government Technology looks at five of the most promising new models of civic engagement.
Healthy Homes: The Latest Luxury Extravagance
Come September, for tens of millions of dollars, you can be the owner of the latest in healthy living - a "WELL-certified condominium" - which promises to deliver improved air, water, light, sleep, energy and nutrition.
An App to Map Free Urban Snacks
A map and website developed by PhD student Ethan Welty and friend Caleb Philip catalogs the cornucopia of edible trees found in the "urban orchards" of two-dozen cities around the world.
Urban Design in the New Soft City
Carl Skelton argues that the public needs new tools of citizenship to participate fully in the digital cities of the near future.
Online Car Service Battle Lands in Los Angeles
Online car services like Uber and Lyft have waged highly publicized regulatory and political battles in NYC, D.C., and elsewhere. After the city sent out cease-and-desist letters to companies this week, L.A. has emerged as the newest battleground.
How the Internet is Helping Cities in the Western World to Loosen Up
While cities in the developing world embrace the chaos and risk inherent in their informal landscapes, the Western world excels at regulation. But this dynamic is starting to change, to the dismay of incumbent industries and establishment regulators.
The 8 Most Promising Ideas in Open Gov
This week, the Knight Foundation announced the eight recipients (out of 886 applicants) to share in $3.2 million in grant funds intended to promote the use of public data "to improve the way people and governments interact."
Tallying San Francisco's Cyclists, Bike-by-Bike
Last month an innovative real-time bike counter debuted along San Francisco's Market Street, which is said to be the busiest bike street west of the Mississippi. Over its first 27 days, the counter tallied nearly 55,000 riders.
Bring ‘em on? Planning for the Robo-cars
Now is the time for planners to engage in the public debate on vehicle-automation – leaving it to the car-makers and search-engine providers (and their legions of techies) won’t deliver the livability outcomes planners aim to achieve.
'Rest Stop for the Urban Age' to Hit NYC Streets
How many times have you hunted in vain for a place to charge your phone for a few minutes while running between errands? Hunt no more. An experimental, and elegant, solar-powered cell phone charging station is set to hit the streets of New York.
Turning an Eye on Big Brother
Ever wonder just how many prying eyes are watching you as you amble down a city street? A new app seeks to develop a comprehensive catalog of Big Brother's presence by documenting the locations of security cameras covering a city's public spaces.
Pagination
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.