Planning Pool

To start off Tech Week, we’re going to talk about something that is near and dear to the hearts of many urban planners – Google Maps! Here’s a Top 10 list of great features in Google Maps:

1. Directions – You already know that you can get directions from A to B on Google Maps, but did you know that you can get those directions for transit or for bikes? Just click on “directions” on the top left hand corner – the train looking thing represents transit directions and the bike icon represents cycling directions. They aren’t perfect, but they are pretty good!
2. Street View – Street view is a great way to nab some precedent images or other images that show what the street looks like today. You can capture a screen shot of the street view and then import … Continue Reading
   

Detroit Decay by Flickr user x3nomik

Time Magazine this month is focusing on Detroit – why the city is in decline, what it is like to live there now, and what can be done to make life better for residents who are still there.

I’m not going to lie. I find Detroit’s decline truly fascinating. Home of the mythical $1,000 house (Wait! Make that the mythical $100 house!!!), Detroit is attracting artists and people seeking community-based rather than job-based lifestyles.

At the same time, what Detroit has become is appalling. Time has some amazing photo essays that depict the state of once gorgeous historic buildings. The photo I found most shocking was … Continue Reading

3D Overview by Lanefab.com

During this “Great Recession,” property values and employment rates have been declining across North America, with my hometown having one of the worst unemployment rates in the US.

Nevertheless, Wall Street Journal reported that Vancouver’s property market is remarkably robust.
“[Vancouver's] office market has logged seven building transactions this year capped off by Germany-based Deka Immobilien’s recent $263 million purchase of Bentall V, a 33-story tower in the heart of the city’s district. Just as impressive, prices have held up well. By contrast, only five office properties valued at $5 million or more have sold in Manhattan in the first two quarters of this year, and average prices paid are off 32%, according to Real Capital Analytics, a New … Continue Reading