social media + cities

In 2008 the London Natural History Society celebrated its 150th anniversary with a conference on ‘London’s Natural History: past, present and future’. I was asked to consider future prospects. What changes might we expect in London’s natural history in fifty year’s time, and what are the prospects for the Society? Whilst I recognised...[read more]

We hosted our eleventh #citytalk tweetchat last week, this time looking at how cities move. There was some serious discussion around the importance of investing in quality public transport solutions that are frequent, affordable, and take people where they need to go, but our favourite moment came when we asked you to share your ideas...[read more]

When it comes to walking in the city, a smartphone is now almost as important as a good pair of shoes.  Our phones provide us with pedestrian sat-nav, reviews of the best places to visit and even measure how many calories we’re burning, while we walk.  In fact recent research suggeststhat our phones are encouraging us to walk...[read more]

Navigating New York’s elaborate braid of transit is not any easier without Google Maps. Above, Grand Central Station at rush hour. Photo by Matt Kroneberger.Welcome to Mapping Mobility, our recurring series on innovative cartography in the public space. We’ll highlight innovation and stories about the conceptual urban space and...[read more]

The lack of access that some city communities have to economic and personal opportunity is in part a social consequence of the way that systems such as education, transport and planning operate. Can we use technology to improve social and physical mobility in cities?[read more]

Last night I took the stage at Blogging the City in Amsterdam, where not only was I proud and honoured to talk on behalf of our awesome contributor base at Urban Times but I had the chance to meet some truly incredible people. The event only affirmed in my head the fact that the online built environment community are strong, inclusive...[read more]

What happens when your state adopts LEED standards for all new construction? Well, clearly any builders skilled in LEED construction would do better, right? In GBO Hawaii, the new board game from GreenBusinessOwner.com, that scenario plays out if the policy card encouraging LEED comes into play. There are also policy cards that...[read more]

It can be difficult being a cyclist in a country paved for automobiles. After all, most roads in the US were built for use by cars and trucks and it is a rare sight to see a designated bike lane in a major metropolitan area. Sure, you can use the Google Maps bike function to help find ways to bike from place to place, but it will not tell you whether there is construction or heavy traffic on the road, or other obstacles.[read more]

In the past when I walked into a restaurant, bar, or grocery store, there were certain things the merchant wanted me to see — or, more specifically, what their vendors wanted me to see. For years I’ve been exposed to branded product door decals telling me to “Push” or “Pull” an alcohol-branded sign at the checkout counter, or a poster in the window promoting a special.[read more]

Cities across the United States are becoming hotbeds for mobile-food entrepreneurs benefiting from an online social networking culture. The mobile food-vending phenomenon is a rich environment for examining the development of technical, social and economic dimensions of contemporary urban life through the mobilization of services and...[read more]

This whole staying-indoors-all-day-working thing is a relatively recent phenomenon, in terms of human evolution. Were we really designed to be shut up in buildings for nine hours a day, cut off from the natural environment? Architect Richard Black thinks not — and his design for an office that transcends the divide between the built and...[read more]

The above photograph was uploaded to a Google Maps server in June 2009.The below photograph was taken last month and shows the same parking lot but instead of different advertisers on the billboard and mural, Molson M blends digital art with traditional advertising. You will also notice a block of small print toward the bottom.Designed...[read more]