Some folks in my department at the University of Michigan worked last summer with the Detroit Residential Parcel Survey, a huge effort to document the status of every single residential parcel in t

Two weeks ago, I was able to present at another regional version of THATCamp, the Technology and Humanities Camp unconference that originated at George Mason University.  Our version, THATCamp of Columbus, was graciously sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council and the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University and hosted by Columbus State Community College. 

"Betaville: a Massively Collaborative Mirror World Editor for Public Art and Urban Planning Applications": In essence, Betaville is designed as a platform for full participation in re-imagining real urban environments, based on open-source software development practices: anyone can put out an idea, and anyone can propose or offer changes, within an informal but effective etiquette...

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Participatory Chinatown will us Hub2, a virtual 3D technology that enables community members to experience, not just look at, architectural designs. The project strives to augment typical community deliberation about neighborhood planning, recognizing that few laypeople possess the technical skills needed to translate inert design documents into vivid spaces. Instead of just looking at and verbally talking about design proposals, participants manipulate avatars through 3D simulations of the proposal, removing the need to translate from design to words and back again. According to Gene Koo of Hub2, this process provides a different language for community deliberation.