Technology

A New Way to Design a Bike Network

Boston's nascent bike program turns to Google Maps for inexpensive help.

March 9, 2008 - Streetsblog

Historic Preservation Through Virtual Reality

By utilizing virtual reality software, students at UC Berkeley are recreating a historic stretch of Oakland, California's 7th Street, a historic hotbed of jazz and blues clubs during the 1940s and '50s.

March 7, 2008 - UC Berkeley

The Global City That Never Sleeps

By using telephone and voice over IP calling data, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created detailed maps of calls between New York and other major world cities, painting a vivid picture of globalization.

March 6, 2008 - MIT News

Congestion Theory Modeled Live

Researchers in Japan have created a live model of the so-called "shockwave" theory to explain traffic congestion.

March 6, 2008 - New Scientist

Boise a Case Study for the High-Tech Economy

Idaho policymakers must make necessary investments and attract talent to succeed, according to a new report.

March 5, 2008 - Idaho Business Review

Fuel Cell Buses: A Tale Of Two Transit Agencies

In the San Francisco Bay Area, two public transit agencies are conducting trials with "Zero Emission Buses", or ZEBs. They are using different types of hydrogen fuel cell technologies, with very different results.

March 3, 2008 - San Jose Mercury News

Mapping the 'New Cartography'

Ubiquitous access to GPS data and social software is generating a whole new breed of cartographers who are empowering themselves and others by mapping everything from community assets to occurrence of disease.

March 3, 2008 - In These Times

Libraries in the Digital Age

In this slideshow from Slate, Witold Rybczynski looks at public libraries from across the country and wonders how they will and should react to the increasingly digital age.

March 1, 2008 - Slate

Tree Maps Inform City Planting Plans

A group of researchers is using mapping and satellite data to help cities quantify their tree canopy cover -- a move that is spurring efforts to increase tree planting in cities across the country.

February 22, 2008 - Associated Press

Istanbul Version 2

A civil engineer has proposed a plan to create a "satellite" backup city of the Turkish metropolis of Instanbul -- a city precariously sited in a major earthquake area.

February 19, 2008 - Discovery

New Generation of New York's Greenstreets Handle Stormwater and Calm Traffic

A look at how the city's sustainability initiative, PlaNYC, is leading to greener streets in more ways than one.

February 17, 2008 - Streetsblog

Creativity Study: Boise Compares Well With Portland and Seattle

Boise State University's Centre for Creativity and Innovation has created and index of creative cities that's found Boise to be just about as creative as cities such as Portland and Seattle.

February 13, 2008 - Boise State University Focus Magazine

New High-Speed Train Introduced In France

A train capable of reaching speeds of 224 mph has been unveiled in France.

February 6, 2008 - BBC News

Facebook as a Community Planning Tool?

A Washington D.C. developer is seeking feedback about possible redevelopment options through the social netowrking website facebook.com.

January 25, 2008 - Washington (D.C.) Business Journal

Personal Rapid Transit: The Connective Tissue of Better Mobility

Two high-profile Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systems are currently under construction, and their implementation could serve as a model for how cities can better connect their existing transit systems to improve mobility.

January 7, 2008 - Jerry Schneider

Wi-Fi Plans Revived in San Francisco

A private firm has announced a proposal that would create a free wireless Internet network in the entire city of San Francisco.

January 6, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Cities Keep Broadband In Mind

Many big cities' plans for free citywide Wi-Fi networks fell apart in 2007. But this column from Governing argues that cities should keep broadband Internet access as a priority to remain competitive.

January 4, 2008 - Governing

Mapmaking For The Masses

In an academic journal article, noted geographer Michael Goodchild argues that user-generated content can profoundly impact Geographic Information Systems.

January 2, 2008 - Science Daily

Predictions About the City of the Future

1808 - 1908 - 2008, 2108. The New York Times looks at two centuries of predictions and invites ten New Yorkers to imagine New York City a century from today, in 2108.

January 1, 2008 - The New York Times

Pentagon Looks Toward Space For Solar Power On Earth

The Pentagon and an international consortium are investigating the feasibility of 'beaming back' solar energy from a network of space-based satellites and Pacific island-based antennae that could begin operating as early as 2012.

December 27, 2007 - AP via San Francisco Chronicle

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.

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.