Technology

A Silver Bullet for Climate Change?
Even as the world (unsuccessfully) tries to formulate a treaty to get nations to reduce their carbon emissions, researchers indicate it may be too late - the tipping point may have been reached. But what if CO2 could be extracted from the air?
Get to Know Your Neighborhood
A new app from the nonprofit Sunlight Foundation culls publicly available information to give you a graphically pleasing "cultural and demographic snapshot of your surroundings," writes Ariel Schwartz.
Utilities React to Reduction in Electricity Consumption
In her news article and blog, Rebecca Smith examines the reduction in electricity consumption in the U.S. - the causes and how utilities have reacted to remain profitable.
Green Lights for Bike Traffic Signals
With bicycling growing in popularity while driving decreases, should a city install "bicycle-specific traffic signals"? Mary Ebeling of State Smart Transportation Initiatives provides guidance and helpful designs from city transportation officials.
Placemaking Wishes for 2013
Like a lot of people, Placeshakers is kicking off the new year with a list: placemaking wishes for 2013. Read on for seven trending ideas they hope break large.
'Modern' Cable Car Coming to Oakland in 2014
BART's Oakland Airport Connector will not look at all like the familiar cable car found across the Bay, but will be propelled by a moving cable similar to the Clay Street Hill RR in S.F. almost 140 years ago. The 3-mile ride to OAK will be 8 minutes.
A New Year's Eve Call to Action for Urbanists
We've known for decades the better ways to do things, for greater urban health, sustainability, resiliency, vibrancy and economic success. So this year, let's resolve to have the will and skill to get past the short-term politics, the rhetoric, the market momentum, and the financial self-interest that has kept our better solutions from being realized.
Tactical Urbanism: A Look Back at 2012
From guerrilla wayfinding to future-tising, these are my top five, perhaps lesser known, highlights of a banner year for Tactical Urbanism.
An Urban Tech Wish List
What do you get for the smart city that thinks it has everything? Lauren Drell lists the 25 technologies every smart city should have.
'App Breakthrough' Benefits NYC Straphangers
Friday marked a milestone in the effort to bridge the gap between NYC's century-old subway system and emerging technologies; "a leap forward for a service that has lagged behind its peers both at home and abroad in adopting new technologies."
Historic Homes Are Losing Visitors, But Perhaps There’s An App for That
Of the thousands of historic homes across the country, many are seeing steep declines in visitors, reports J. Freedom du Lac. Consolidation and new technologies, such as smartphone apps, may be the best alternatives to closing doors.
New Center Seeks to Take the Guesswork out of Planning
Researchers at the University of Chicago are tackling a problem that is confronting the globe's biggest cities: how to turn the reams of data being collected and opened to the public and turn it into actionable information for decision-makers.
'Smart Screens' to Provide City Data in New York
Can 250 high-def, touch-screen kiosks make New York City more user-friendly, personalized and safe?
How Smart Is Smart Parking - And For Whom?
Parking enforcers, not motorists in search of available parking, may be the main beneficiaries of 'smart parking' technology as they have the ability to immediately spot parking spaces where vehicles have overstayed their time limits and by how long.
Biometric Monitors: Coming to a Driveway Near You
Might your car one day serve as a mobile doctor's office? If research into biometric monitoring being conducted by carmakers comes to fruition, your car may soon be able to tracks your stress and blood sugar levels, and more, reports Bob Moon.
Art Meets Infrastructure in an L.A. Suburb
The design for a new bridge that will carry the extension of LA’s Metro Rail Gold Line over the eastbound lanes of the I-210 Freeway is "energizing" the San Gabriel Valley with its melding of art with infrastructure.

The Year's Best in Big Data
The "Best of" roll continues with Emily Badger's list of the most useful tools, maps and data visualizations to make use of municipal open data over the past year.
The Promise and Perils of Modern Disaster Communications
During and after Sandy, transportation workers had the responsibility of informing riders of changing conditions and schedules. Ray Rivera compares the different communication approaches of New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Rail Road.
What's in a Name?
"Detroit is the Paris of the Widwest", "Oakland is the Newark of the West Coast", "Chattanooga is the Cleveland of the Southeast" - a new website uses a navigable map of the world to catalog the many "X is the Y of Z" analogies found on Twitter.
The Top Private Sector Trends Changing Our Cities
Max Nisen discusses how cities like Boston and Edmonton are successfully applying popular trends from the private sector - on topics such as mobility, engagement, big data and innovation - and changing the way we live.
Pagination
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions