Simulating Our Petroleum-Dependent Future

Computer modeling is a powerful tool for analyzing complex urban systems. Indeed, for decades metropolitan-scale transportation planning has been informed by increasingly sophisticated computer models. In addition, models are commonly used to study all types of infrastructure systems, the urban environment, even possible location of future of urban growth. In fact, I’m building an attractiveness […]

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Does Data Matter in Urban Policy?

Last week’s Open Cities conference, sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation and Next American City, brought together a diverse group to discuss the role of new media in shaping urban policy. One of the major topics discussed was the emerging trend of cities establishing data catalogs where a wide range of datasets and feeds are made […]

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What Government Web Feeds Are Needed?

More and more governments are publishing data feeds, whether of news, alerts regarding public services, or even exposing administrative data. In the UK, the “Mash the State” project has the goal of encouraging every local unit of government publish a news RSS feed. Inspired by the project, Steve Clift asked “what web feeds should government […]

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New Feed URL

I finally decided to move my RSS feed to Feedburner, so I can find out how many are reading that way. Starting today, the feed for this blog will be located at this URL. I’m activating a forwarding plugin, but I am not sure how it will work with all readers. It also means I […]

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Placeblogs and the Nonplace Urban Realm

Communications technologies were supposed to doom urban community. After all, with high-quality, free, instantaneous communication with people from around the world, who cares about talking over the fence with the neighbor, or joining the local bowling league? Ironically, the Internet, the world’s most widely available communications medium, has sparked some of the most narrowly focused […]

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