Technology
Dongtan Eco-City: A Model of Sustainability?
Dongtan Eco City was planned for completion for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. By that time, 5,000 people should be living there. However, the planned housing, water taxis, sewage‐recycling plant and energy park all failed to materialize.
SimBaghdad
New video game-like programs are enabling the U.S. military to train for deployment in the middle east. One program is modeled off the urban planning computer game SimCity.
2000 - 2009: The Decade in Planning
The editors' choice of the most significant stories in the realm of urban planning, design and development of the "aughts" (2000-2009). The decade began with one crash and ended with another, but in between we've learned a lot about making cities.
New Smog Standard A Victory for Science, Says NYT
In this editorial, the Times strongly supports the new, more stringent ozone standard proposed by the EPA. It views the new proposal as a sign that the Obama administration looks toward science, not industry, to set environmental and health standards
Information As Architecture
The "N Building" in Tokyo has a facade made up of digital QR codes- aim your phone at a window, and it will tell you all about the business, what's on sale, and what the people inside are Tweeting.
Up and Over?
Steven Dale of Creative Urban Projects in Toronto takes a look at a crazy plan by Santiago Calatrava to build a gondola to Governor's Island in New York that might not be so crazy after all.
London to Open City Data Streams
London is making public more than 200 streams of city data, joining a host of world cities in sharing city-collected data with its citizens.
Editorial Urges NYC Reattempt Congestion Pricing
Mayor Bloomberg has joined an elite group of NYC members serving three terms. In this editorial, the Times suggests key planning and environmental issues that he should address if he is to make that term successful.
Bureaucratic Structures and the Collapse of Modern Society
Triple Canopy interviews architectural historian Kazys Varnelis about the importance of city data, the difficulty of building new infrastructure and how best to react to a stiflingly complex society.
New Techniques for Preventing Levee Breaches
Breached levees are a major concern for riverside cities; New Orleans struggled with their disastrous results after Hurricane Katrina. While shoring and sandbagging have been relied upon in the past, new methods for stopping breaches are emerging.
Urban Data: The Second City
Looking at the city of Chicago and how it should approach the future, John Tolva writes about the potential for tapping into city data and embracing the "second city" it creates.
Mapping Municipal Discrimination
GIS maps are being used to identify where communities need services -- and whether some communities are victims of municipal discrimination.
Four Years Later, 664 Miles of Rail in China
A new high speed rail line has just opened in China, making a 664-mile connection between the cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan. The new line was constructed in four years.
2009 in Trains, Planes, Boats, Bikes, and More
Treehugger has a look at the best and worst transportation technology of 2009, from solar planes to bike highways.
The Coming Transition to Electric Cars
A new report from PikeResearch predicts the future for electric vehicles in 2010, including the prediction that hybrids will dominate the market.
Worst-Case Tsunami Scenario Mapped
The event of a huge earthquake off the Aleutian Islands could send a devastating tsunami towards the West coast of the U.S. Researchers have released maps of what a worst-case scenario might look like for coastal communities.
Digital Surfaces Pose Opportunities and Challenges
Through advancements in technology, digital facades are becoming significantly easier to implement on a wide variety of architectural projects. Programmable surfaces maybe a big part of the future of buildings.
Five Advances in City Networks Coming Soon
Adam Christensen of IBM's Smarter Planet blog predicts five ways that cities are going to become smarter by networking their environment.
Streetcars Return to Vancouver
Vancouver, B.C. will launch its first new streetcar in 65 years next month. TheTransitFan got a sneak preview.
Street Views as Art
Montreal artist Jon Raufman uses Google Street Views as his raw material, finding images that capture unintentional moments, like a house on fire or a nude bather.
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
