By Drew Bush Geothink Co-Applicant Alexander C.E. Aylett passed away on July 23, 2016 from cancer. A beloved son, husband and father, colleagues also remember him for his warmth and passion. His research empowered urban communities to engage with sustainable development through the use of digital technologies and open data. His wife Luna, their two daughters, Inara and Aurora, her … Read More
Geothoughts 12: Can A Game Improve Regional and Urban Planning Processes?
By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our 12th episode of Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this episode, we take a look at two Geothink researchers who are investigating how the popular video game Minecraft can be used to improve local and regional planning processes. In particular, we … Read More
Paper Spotlight: Examining Urban Reasoning Skills in the Age of Digital Cities
By Drew Bush In a paper published this past May, Geothink Co-Applicant Stéphane Roche posits that emerging smart cities require citizens to develop an urban intelligence that meshes material realities with digital information. In order to fully manage and engage with urban spaces, future smart citizens must develop the skillset required to understand spatio-temporal interactions in dynamically linked urban networks … Read More
Minecraft to Educate Youth and Plan Better Cities
By Drew Bush When the New York Times recently ran a ten page magazine story on The Minecraft Generation, it focused primarily on young users learning basics of computer science through their engagement with this software. For two Geothink researchers, harnessing youth enthusiasm for this tool is also central to helping cities make better planning decisions. For the un-initiated, Minecraft … Read More
Gethoughts 8: How Technology is Reshaping Citizen Interactions on Climate Change
By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our eighth episode of Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this episode, we examine what role Canada’s cities play in international solutions to climate change as well as how new technologies shape interactions in neighbourhoods and between neighbours on environmental issues. In … Read More
Four Geothink Partner Cities Named to Top 10 on First Ever Canada Open Cities Index
By Drew Bush Numerous city, state, and provincial governments across North America are finding new ways to share government data online. With more than 60 nations now part of the Open Government Partnership, it’s often difficult to determine which initiatives are simply part of a growing fad instead of being true attempts at more responsive and accountable government. In the … Read More
Can Citizen Science Help Cities Address Climate Change?
By Naomi Bloch If you were following the recent climate change talks in Paris, you may have noticed a recurring theme: policymakers acknowledging the leadership of subnational governments in addressing climate change. Canada’s own delegation to the conference included representatives from the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, as well as provincial and indigenous leaders. While the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference focused on political negotiations, critics … Read More
GIS in the City: Toronto on the Map
By Naomi Bloch This Wednesday, November 18, marks the 16th annual GIS Day. Throughout the week, Geothink will present a series of posts looking at some of the ways in which our collaborators, partners, and friends around the world are critically examining and using GIS as a tool for civic engagement and understanding. The community snapshots presented this week highlight diverse perspectives and uses … Read More
Crosspost: How is your Toronto neighbourhood portrayed in the news? Check it out using these interactive maps
This post is cross-posted with permission from April Lindgren and Christina Wong at Local News Research Project. By April Lindgren and Christina Wong Introduction Concerns about how neighbourhoods are portrayed in the news have surfaced regularly in the Toronto area over the years. But are those concerns valid? Interactive maps produced by the The Local News Research Project (LNRP) at … Read More
Crosspost: Green Cities and Smart Cities: The potential and pitfalls of digitally-enabled green urbanism
This post is cross-posted with permission from Alexander Aylett, from UGEC Viewpoints. Aylett is an Assistant Professor at the Centre on Urbanisation, Culture and Society at the National Institute for Scientific Research (UCS-INRS) in Montreal, Quebec. By Alexander Aylett Since its early days, the discourse around “smart cities” has included environmental sustainability as one of its core principles. The application … Read More
Geothoughts 3: Edmonton Ascending to the World Stage as a Truly Open City
By Drew Bush In our third edition of Geothoughts, we’re excited to bring you an interview with Yvonne Chen, a strategic planner for the city of Edmonton’s Open City Initiative. You can also subscribe to this podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this interview, we talk with Chen about what it means for Edmonton to be on par with … Read More