Each week we will be focusing on blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
• FOLLOW UP: For those looking for a little more on the Shweeb, CNN offers up a more extensive report on Google’s $1 million investment in the new transportation technology. As to why the web giant is investing so much money in an unproven technology, Google spokesman Jamie Yood offers: “We looked for a concrete project where the funding available to us with Project 10^100 has the potential to yield impact. Shweeb’s innovative approach toward low-cost and environmentally friendly urban transport has the potential for significant impact in the future.” For those concerned about being stuck behind a slow Shweeber, never fear – shock absorbers allow the pods to stack together and let the faster people “push” the slow rider in front. Compellingly, Shweeb designers suggest that their technology represents the future of urban transit because it fits existing expectations and institutions. “It doesn’t require any change in behavior.”
• SimCity lovers take note: last week, IBM released their city problem solving game – CityOne. According to the Next American City article, “the game is intended to help business and civic leaders (or indeed anyone with a flash enabled browser) gain a better understanding of some of the challenges that are facing modern day urban areas, and how technology might play a role in addressing them.” The author critiques the game for simplistic and technology-heavy answers that read like a sales pitch rather than a useful city building tool.
• A team led by Rhode Island School of Design student Lindsay Kinkade won the recent “A Better World by Design” competition with an idea that combines public transit and access to fresh food, reports The Providence Journal. Their proposal “The Grocery Loop,” is a brightly painted bus whose sole purpose would be to travel around town bringing passengers to grocery stores and specialty food shops – ensuring access to fresh produce and eliminating car trips.
• According to the New York Times, Las Vegas is feeling the effects of the recession harder than most cities in the nation. Reeling from the collapse of the construction industry, the country’s highest unemployment rate and the highest number of housing foreclosures, Nevada and Las Vegas will need to re-examine their financial composition. While some feel Americans will return with their gambling dollars soon, other speculate that the city will now pay the price for an overly ambitious run of commercial and residential construction.
Photo from The Infrastructurist
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