Technology
A Solar Oil Field?
In a rather remarkable application of new, carbon-free renewable power to obtain additional oil from old wells, solar thermal technology involving mirrors placed above an oil field in Coalinga, CA will create steam to inject into the wells.
When Funicular Isn't Just A Funny Word
Jarrett Walker rides on the Wellington Cable Car, giving him the opportunity to explain the four conditions for when a funicular is a sensible transit solution.
A City as Good as Its Buildings
If cities are like ailing bodies, then building modernization is the key to their future health. It's time planners looked at buildings as ecological and economical assets, according to Gordon Gill.
Oil Bonanza In Western Hemisphere
New technology is allowing massive investment in oil drilling in North and South America, from Canada to Argentina. This article centers on the investment in the region's two largest economies, U.S. and Brazil, and its effect on energy geopolitics.
"The Golden Age of Motoring is Over"
According to this article in The Guardian U.K., fewer and fewer young adults age 17-20 are seeking a driver's license and car ownership, signalling "peak car".
How the U.N. Uses GIS to Manage Humantarian Responses
Two planners with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveal how they use GIS to coordinate their efforts, using the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan as an example.
Getting Around Underground Could be Easier
Part of this week's Urban Design Week in New York City, design duo Original Champions of Design present three solutions to a weak wayfinding system currently in place in the city's subways.
Building the Crowdsourced City
Peter Sigrist takes us through three other tools for open sourced, democratic governance processes conducive to mobilization, collaboration, and funding--each integral for the crowdsourced city.
NYC Subway Gets Touchscreen That Tells You Where Delays Are
Cisco has sponsored a number of "Travel Stations" to be tested in a handful of subway stops. Dan Nosowitz went down to Bowling Green to try one out.
London's Buses Hauls Twice as Many Riders Than The Tube
Surprisingly, London's bus network carries 6 million passengers to the Underground's 3 million. Facing serious cutbacks and fuel costs, Transport for London is working to reinvent the bus system.
Untippable, Enclosed, Electric Motorcycle in the Works
Segway meets Vespa: car designer Daniel Kim is developing a scooter-sized vehicle that is fully-enclosed and fully-electric, with a range of 150 miles.
Time's Almost Up for New York's Parking Meters
On Monday, Manhattan's last traditional parking meters will be uprooted and replaced by a sleek, solar-powered machine. This article contains a brief look back at the joys and pains of the meter as well as a glimpse forward.
NYC Residents Suggesting Locations for New Bike Share Stations
Earlier this week, New York City officials announced a new bikeshare system that will be available to New Yorkers in 2012.
"I Don't Believe People Are Going to Give Up On Wheels"
Michael Schrage, a MIT Sloan School of Management transportation research fellow, explains why he thinks people will never give up on driving and what he thinks the options are.
Streetcar Manufacturers See Boom Ahead in U.S.
At least 80 U.S. and Canadian cities have a streetcar system in the works or are considering it, says APTA. Julie Sneider at Progressive Railroading says transit manufacturers are seeing opportunity in those numbers.
Friday Funny: Open-Source Bathrooms?
A yet-to-be-released iPhone app will give users access to a Google Maps overlay showing the location of the nearest private bathrooms that your friends (and friends of friends) have agreed to let you use.
Will Obama's Support of Advanced Batteries Encourage Sprawl?
The Obama administration has pumped $2.5 billion in stimulus funds into the advanced battery industry, with the goal of creating manufacturing jobs. But will supporting green cars mean supporting sprawl in the long-term?
Melbourne Ranked as Most Livable City
With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.
App Allows Motorists To Auction Free Curb Parking Spots
Shoup might love it or hate it. Rather than allowing the city, neighborhood, or homeowner to profit from unpriced curb parking by establishing a “parking benefit district”, the transient motorist auctions the spot upon departure...on an iPhone!
William Gibson's Futuristic World Has Arrived
Author William Gibson talks to Scientific American about how "the future's arrived," and the many ways you can see the future around you.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
