California has the worst air quality in the nation, boasting 10 out of the 25 cities most polluted by short-term particle pollution. In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved new emissions rules for cars and light trucks on January 31, 2012. The mandate requires an increase [...]
South Hill, Washington is an unincorporated neighborhood encompassing approximately 19-square miles of Pierce County and has seen tremendous growth over the last 30-years. In 1994, planners with Pierce County Planning and Land Services (PALS), began updating its existing Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations, which included a South Hill Community Plan. The plan, however, only provided [...]
Michel Foucault (October 1926- June 1984) was a French philosopher and activist, pivotal in the conception of contemporary postmodern theory. They are bred in the suburbs, and then sent to school. They attend Duke University, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. They are pumped with pertinent education, and then are [...]
Your firm can use the popular professional networking site LinkedIn for much more than your standard Facebook ‘like’ page. Facebook is casual and is viewable by all whom may be interested in your firm. LinkedIn provides a professional atmosphere online with many specific tools and resources to help your business and employees. Here are four tips [...]
As map-making software grows in popularity, more people than ever have cartography at their fingertips. In response to the growing trend, many mapping projects have begun distinguishing themselves as radical cartography, choosing to highlight, not hide, the process and politics associated with map-making decisions. At Rhode Island School of Design’s (RISD) Digital+Media graduate program, the [...]
“A sculpture at the coast unites the natural elements of water, air, and earth.” Kim Herforth Nielsen, 3XN The South-East coast of Zealand, Denmark offers a leisure time oasis as the motor way streams out of the urban area. Sandy beach patches, with small yacht ports and bike tracks, stretch across undulating green fields. Before [...]
Waste Management broke ground October 2011 on behalf of the City of Spokane for their new 62,000 square foot, state-of-the-art recycling center. October 1st, 2012, they are scheduled to open and ready for almost a dozen new recyclable materials. The Spokane Material and Recycling Technology (SMART) Center will receive many things dubbed as trash until [...]
The economic recession has changed the job market dramatically. Rather than waiting idly for the resurgence of the architecture sector, design professionals should consider freelance blogging. Writing for The GRID provides value for future opportunities. From urban design related blogging opportunities with Grist and Planetizen, to media, news, and design correspondent positions in the NGO [...]
Did you ever imagine that, as planners (or architects), we would be able to make revisions on a 10 thousand sqf retail mixed-use project in Revit, on our smart touchpads, while discussing it with a colleague on What’s App, on our way home, in a public train? It’s happening. Today’s social media mobilizes planners’ and [...]
With the growing popularity of crowdsourced funding platforms like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, many urban planning professionals have begun to explore the potential of a good web-based brainstorm. In 2011, the development firm Renaissance Downtowns partnered with the city of Bristol, Connecticut to solicit feedback on the piazza feature of its mall redevelopment plan. After receiving [...]
Planning participation is a requirement in most American states, and many municipalities realize its power; a sense of ownership in the community for an initiative can be a determining factor in the success of any plan. To distribute and gather information to and from the community there are essentially three routes. Depending on the community [...]
Planning should be participatory; however, it’s often very difficult to get stakeholders to contribute to planning processes. Mail-in survey return rates are low, and more often than not, residents don’t want to sit through a Saturday morning design charette. Marketing online and social media platforms give urban planners and architects a set of contemporary tools [...]
One of the most important components of your work as an urban planner is engaging community stakeholders. For urban projects in the main street district, the downtown development authority, city leadership, planning and zoning commissioners, historical district commissioners, architects, and neighborhood residents are all integral partners. Projects that deal more with regional issues require collaboration [...]
The need for public involvement is one of the most fundamental and integral components of government agencies. Without this interaction, government leaders would have a difficult time understanding the needs and wants of the public. The traditional models of collecting public opinions create barriers, which can make it difficult for people to effectively participate in [...]
Public participation in urban planning has been transformed by web and mobile-based social media technologies. From simply informing citizens about a new proposal or plan to actively seeking out citizen suggestions and feedback, social media has changed the way urban planners approach public participation. Planners are always looking for new techniques and tools to engage [...]
Once home to the innovations of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, American Electrical Heater Company and General Motors, the New Center area breathes new life into Detroit, Michigans’s entrepreneurial spirit. In April 2004, the partially-renovated Chevy Creative Services building designed by architect Albert Kahn, opened its doors to Detroit’s start-up community as TechOne. The TechTown [...]
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for the success of many websites. No matter how often you may tune your site for a better ranking with major search engines, it may still not be enough if the right keywords or keyphrases are not being selected. This is because search engines decide how relevant a site [...]
As my 6-month internship with Global Site Plans coasts to a gentle close this week, I find myself in a much different place than when I began blogging for the GRID in October 2011. In the beginning, I was a recent college grad still clinging to my Cornell days by hanging around Ithaca, New York [...]
Social media is changing the way we live, work, and play. Our networks are larger, our interests broader, and our opportunities more abundant than ever before. Thanks to this dynamic, digital infrastructure, Detroit, Michigan is making a comeback and gaining esteem as a city of possibility. The new direction is small and sustainable. There is a [...]
Creating and maintaining a website is a complex task that involves making decisions regarding design, branding, marketing, and content. How much should website maintenance cost? The answer is that the price is variable and dependent on a number of factors. Mostly, this depends on what maintenance of your website will cover, the total number of [...]
