World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Exclusive: Urban Planning Reaches Out to "Dummies"
For Dummies, the ubiquitous reference series, has recently released its first book dedicated entirely to Urban Planning. Planetizen spoke recently with author Jordan Yin about the book, its audience, and what he hopes to provide for readers.
Bringing Value to Low-Cost Housing
Ron Nyren looks at 10 affordable housing developments across the world completed in the last five years that demonstrate good design and low-cost housing are not mutually exclusive.
Communicating Character Through Streetcars
Mark Byrnes takes the global streetcar renaissance as an opportunity to reflect on how their design symbolizes a city's common interests and sense of itself.
Friday Funny: Accessorizing Your City's New Hot Ride
John Metcalfe has "designed" what he thinks could be the "Ultimate Municipal Supertruck of the Future."
Are Satellite Cities the Smart Alternative to Urban Sprawl or Pie in the Sky?
Kai Laursen argues for satellite cities as a promising alternative to accommodate population growth, while preserving open space and farmland, and minimizing urban sprawl.
Planners and Computer Nerds Rejoice at the Return of SimCity
After a decade of absence, Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, has announced plans to release an updated version of SimCity, the pioneering urban planning computer game, in 2013.
Calling for an Architecture of Place
Fred Kent, of the Project for Public Spaces, wades into the debate over architecture and design criticism with an affirmation of the importance of place, buttressing his argument with five successful contemporary buildings, and a Hall of Shame.
Urban Furniture That Rocks
Web Urbanist has published a fun post featuring examples of unconventional urban furniture. If you're tired of the same old boring bus benches and park picnic tables, these interactive, comfortable, and visually interesting pieces should inspire you.
What's the Big Deal With 'Big Data'?
Ben Hecht contemplates the currency of the digital age and how it will transform the cities we live in.
World Poverty Declines Despite Recession
Defying logic, as the world entered recession its poorest made inroads out of "extreme poverty" according to a new World Bank report. In 2009 a similar report predicted just the opposite would happen due to recession. Why the improvement?
Do You Know How Big Your City Is?
Samuel Arbesman pens a fascinating piece in The Atlantic Cities analyzing our subjective concepts of scale and context in relation to our ideas about the importance and size of cities.
Highlighting Women in Architecture, on International Women’s Day
Anyone who's seen Google's homepage doodle today may be aware that it's International Women's Day. C.C. Sullivan has taken the day as an opportunity to celebrate women in architecture and to highlight related events taking place.
What Can Be Done to Fight the Rise of Visual Pollution?
Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg interviews Gwenaëlle Gobé, director of a new film called This Space Available, which seeks to document the rise of "visual pollution" and those who are fighting to stop it.
Are Driverless Cars and Complete Streets on a Collision Course?
David Alpert tamps down the recent enthusiasm for the coming age of the self-driving car by asking what its impact will be on pedestrians and street life.
From Landscape to Soundscape in Urban Placemaking
Chuck Wolfe outlines the importance of soundscapes to cities past, present and future, and describes efforts to both document urban sounds and use sound as a planning tool.
Construction Industry Embraces the iPad
A unique new iPad applicaion, called PlanGrid, provides for accessing, viewing and updating construction blueprints at a job site, and demonstrates the larger trend of specialization in iOS software development, reports Ingrid Lunden.
Leveraging the Wisdom of Crowds through Participatory Platforms
New technologies are providing participatory platforms that allow individuals to share their ideas, interact with other's ideas, and work towards collaborative solutions to resolve problems or take advantage of opportunities. Kevin C. Desouza, PhD offers five guidelines to ensure that the use of such emerging technologies are maximized by practitioners.
Where It Pays To Be A Woman
To mark the upcoming anniversary of International Women's Day, Sarah Morrison investigates the best and worst places around the world to be a woman.
In the Inevitable World of the Self-Driving Car, How Will An Intersection Work?
Yes, the subject may seem a little dry at first, but have a look at the intersection modeling shown in Emily Badger's recent article to see what continuously flowing traffic looks like at an intersection. A brave new world indeed.
Architecture Reborn, Through Public Interest Design
John Cary doesn't mourn the "death of architecture" prophesied by many, but rather sees it as an opportunity to refocus the profession for the benefit of society.
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 Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada