Technology

New Jersey to Lead in Wind Power

By 2020, New Jersey will have tripled its wind energy use.

October 8, 2008 - Newsday

Canada's High-Tech Hub

Ottawa's high-tech sector has burgeoned. More of its residents are employed in fields of engineering and science than in any other Canadian city, making it a high-tech hotbed not unlike those of the U.S.

October 8, 2008 - New Geography

Folding Bikes Increasingly Popular on Rail

In the Bay Area, where transit and cycling are encouraged and on the rise, cyclists are increasingly turning towards folding bikes to enjoy unrestricted access to the two major rail systems, BART and Caltrain, due to conventional bike limitations.

October 7, 2008 - Inside Bay Area

The Rise of the Amateur Mapmaker

The explosion of amateur mapmaking opened up by online services like Google Earth has expanded the reach of maps for a variety of uses. Professional mapmakers, on the other hand, foresee problems of quality and accuracy.

October 6, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

Reconsidering the Trailer Park

A new study finds that manufactured housing (also known as mobile homes), despite their reputation, offer important advantages for low-income households.

October 3, 2008 - HUD User

'Growing Water' Project Gets a Hand

The architecture studio that won The History Channel's City of the Future competition last year has gotten some help making its ideas possible.

October 3, 2008 - Architectural Record

A Critical Look at WiFi's Successor

The implementation of WiMAX technology has been touted as the bridge to the digital divide. And while some less developed countries have taken advantage of its cost-effectiveness, U.S. companies seem more interested in the bottom line.

October 2, 2008 - Next American City

Using Prison Technology to Avoid Roadkill

Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a pilot program that uses technology that detects wildlife in order to help drivers avoid hitting them.

October 2, 2008 - Chicago Tribune

Carbon Tax: A Norwegian Case Study Since 1991

Norway's carbon emissions have increased 15% since imposing a carbon tax in 1991, unlike neighbor's Sweden and Denmark where emissions decreased with their carbon taxes. Unlike the oil industry which became carbon-lean, Norway's drivers didn't change

October 1, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

Rail Safety Bill Mired In Amtrak Politics

Federal legislation that would require and partially fund Positive Train Control technology, which, had it been installed by Metrolink, would have prevented the Sept. 12 crash, is held up in the Senate by a fiscal hawk wary of funding Amtrak.

October 1, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

BP's Chief Scientist Advocates Higher Gas Prices

BP's chief scientist provides his insight into solving the energy and climate crises, including the affect of higher gas prices and separating transportation from the heat and power sectors when dealing with strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

September 29, 2008 - Technology Review (MIT)

Rural U.S. Losing Out on Innovation

Alex Steffen of WorldChanging observes the growing divide in innovation between urban and rural America.

September 28, 2008 - WorldChanging

Does Maglev Hurt High Speed Rail?

This article from Metropolis looks at the plan for a magnetic-levitation train connecting Las Vegas and Anaheim, which has been brewing for years. But is this idea detracting from more feasible high speed rail plans?

September 22, 2008 - Metropolis

The Future Of The Car Is The Present

GM will soon unveil its SUV of the future – the 'plug-in' hybrid known as the Volt. Mitsubishi's new mini, all-electric car will soon go to market in Japan. The days of the gas-powered car are numbered- or are they?

September 18, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

Location Efficiency and the Metric of Affordability

On this episode of Smart City, Scott Bernstein of the Center for Neighborhood Technology discusses the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index.

September 17, 2008 - Smart City

'Live From A Moving Train' News Broadcast Set For 9/15

"Good Morning America" in cooperation with Amtrak will launch a 'Whistle-Stop' Tour at Grand Central Station on Mon, Sept. 15 - one full week live, two hours daily from a moving train featuring five station stops, making for a 'technology first'.

September 15, 2008 - ABC News

Planners: Embrace the Technical!

Chuck Donley argues that planners should get over their fear of being pigeonholed as "the technically-savvy" one in the office and learn to embrace new graphics technologies like Google Earth.

September 15, 2008 - Chuck Donley

Looking for a Parking Spot? Go Online

A collection of links to online sources for parking spots.

September 8, 2008 - Mashable

Tokyo's Robotic High-Tech Bike Parking

Tokyo finds solution to commuter bicycle parking shortage by building high-tech robotic garages.

September 8, 2008 - The Washington Post

Is There a Future in Politics for Urban-Minded Bloggers?

The "creative class" is using the Internet and the blog world to drum up new ideas for combating sprawl and placelessness. This article argues it's only a matter of time before these urban thinkers go from blogging to local politics.

September 7, 2008 - The St. Petersburg Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.