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October 8, 2012
Mobile App Helps Map Philly’s Trees

Street trees play a crucial role in creating a healthy urban environment by improving air quality, reducing energy costs for homeowners, and even enhancing property values. Since April 2011, people in the greater Philadelphia area have been showing their love for trees by adding information to PhillyTreeMap, a web application that encourages the public to get involved in the process of mapping the urban forest.

Street trees play a crucial role in creating a healthy urban environment by improving air quality, reducing energy costs for homeowners, and even enhancing property values. Since April 2011, people in the greater Philadelphia area have been showing their love for trees by adding information to PhillyTreeMap, a web application that encourages the public to get involved in the process of mapping the urban forest.

September 14, 2012
3D Plans Using Mobile Phones

Mobile Augmented Reality visualization of architectural plans. Building of a new hotel complex is being planned at Raseborg town in Finland. Municipal decision makers go on a walking tour at the site and view the 3D plans using N900 mobile phones.

August 1, 2012
The Role of Libraries in Communities, The Global Street Concept and Civil Participation In Society

What's the role of libraries in the digital age, now that ever more information is available anywhere? How did the rise of the internet and smartphones affect this century old institution? What new opportunities for participation does technology offer and how does this affect local authorities? During my second day of the multidisciplinary City of Flows conference in Potsdam, Germany last month, these and other questions were addressed.

What's the role of libraries in the digital age, now that ever more information is available anywhere? How did the rise of the internet and smartphones affect this century old institution? What new opportunities for participation does technology offer and how does this affect local authorities? During my second day of the multidisciplinary City of Flows conference in Potsdam, Germany last month, these and other questions were addressed.

Libraries as a Place, Space & Relation

June 11, 2012
Designing new digital public spaces to engage a disconnected public

Government policy is written by those who show up. Unfortunately, most of us don’t. Most don’t see the point: we don’t trust government. Or politicians. And we don’t believe that there’s anything we can do to influence them. I’ve been arguing that digital can help change this. Not set democracy on fire, suddenly re-igniting our latent passions for civic engagement. But just maybe break down the barriers so it’s easier to take part. Our personal tipping point is reached sooner, sustained longer.

Government policy is written by those who show up. Unfortunately, most of us don’t. Most don’t see the point: we don’t trust government. Or politicians. And we don’t believe that there’s anything we can do to influence them. I’ve been arguing that digital can help change this. Not set democracy on fire, suddenly re-igniting our latent passions for civic engagement. But just maybe break down the barriers so it’s easier to take part. Our personal tipping point is reached sooner, sustained longer.

February 16, 2012
Hands-On Resources to Address Opportunities & Possibilities in Location Technology

Can you imagine today’s world without location-based technology? It’s everywhere—in augmented reality apps for smartphones, GPS systems in our cars, urban transportation systems, and with public participation (ie. Gov 2.0) and visualisation web portals. In the past year, EngagingCities alone has dedicated over twenty posts to the subject of GIS in planning, with a 2012 location-based article series in the works as we speak. This being said, getting a handle on the multitude of planning related geospacial platforms and tools out there isn't easy, especially considering the rapid rate at which this technology is evolving.

November 23, 2011
Social Cities of Tomorrow International Conference & Workshop

Our everyday lives are increasingly shaped by digital media technologies, from smart cards and intelligent GPS systems to social media and smartphones. How can we use digital media technologies to make our cities more social, rather than just more hi-tech? This international conference brings together key thinkers and doers working in the fields of new media and urbanism.

Our everyday lives are increasingly shaped by digital media technologies, from smart cards and intelligent GPS systems to social media and smartphones. How can we use digital media technologies to make our cities more social, rather than just more hi-tech?

October 13, 2011
Study Highlights Increased Smartphone Internet Use by Minorities

A recent Pew Research Center study indicates a significant rise in smartphone use by minorities, reporting that 44 percent of African Americans and Hispanics say they own a smartphone, compared to just 30 percent of non-Hispanic whites. Of the smartphone operating platforms, Android seems to be the most prevalent type used these days, followed by iPhones and Blackberry devices. Demographically, Android phones are especially common among young adults and African-Americans, as opposed to iPhones and Blackberry devices most commonly used among college graduates and the financially well-off.

October 7, 2011
CityCamp Colorado 2011 - Enhancing Access to Government

CityCamp Colorado 2011 will bring together government professionals, private sector specialists, members of academia, the press, and other interested citizens with the goal of creating actionable plans and efforts to make our governments more accessible.

CityCampColorado 2011 brings together people like yourself to share ideas to enhance access to government.

Citizens are becoming more engaged and more frustrated with government.  They are becoming more active and expecting government to respond.

The Internet, social media, smartphones, and many other tools hold the promise of improving government.   Government and citizens alike need to take advantage of these tools to realize that promise.  

July 28, 2011
Study Indicates Recent Increase in Mobile App Usage

Since emerging into the mainstream as a dominant communication source a mere 15 years ago, there is no doubt that the Internet has continued to rapidly evolve. From early online online directories and search engines to the now popular array of social media venues (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc), the web’s popularity has increased significantly.

More recently, however, a new platform shift is taking place. A recent study conducted by Flurry, indicates that a new generation of consumers now expect their smartphones and tablets to come with instant broadband connectivity so they, too, can tap into the Internet and communicate via social media platforms while they are on the go. Hence, the recent increase of mobile apps being developed.

Since emerging into the mainstream as a dominant communication source a mere 15 years ago, there is no doubt that the Internet has continued to rapidly evolve. From early online online directories and search engines to the now popular array of social media venues (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc), the web’s popularity has increased significantly.

July 14, 2011
Using Online Tools - and Building Civic Infrastructure

In some ways, I was an unlikely choice to write a report on Using Online Tools to Engage –and be Engaged by – the Public. My work has centered mainly on face-to-face forms of public engagement. I had only just begun to use a Facebook page to distribute updates and resources to practitioners and researchers. I had to do most of the research on online tools from scratch. I was vaguely suspicious of Facebook status updates, RSS feeds, and (above all) Twitter.

September 10, 2010
Netherlands Architecture Institute announces the launch of UAR - Urban Augmented Reality
May 20, 2010
Location-aware consumer technology: ready - today - to make the practice of planning a little easier and a little cheaper

In his article “iPads for Planning” (posted on Planetizen, April 2, 2010), Robert Goodspeed states that the iPad and iPhone are excellent tools for planning because they are highly mobile, location aware, and can be connected to a 3G network.

We would like to thank Jeremy Nemeth PhD., Director of the Master’s in Urban Design program at the University of Colorado Denver, for his contribution to this post.

April 15, 2010
How Will Augmented Reality Impact our Built Environment?

With the emergence of augmented reality apps on smartphones, it appears the technology is ready for widespread adoption. But will users see enough value for it take off? Playing with apps like Layar, some use cases are very compelling, like doing a city search and seeing the results overlayed on top of reality.