Link Roundup – 2.8.2015

Borrowing a page/blog concept from Seattle Transit Blog, one of my favorite blogs. Below is a collection of links from the week which made stop think about emerging trends and adjust my perspective about topical issues.

Technology Pebble sells a million smartwatches and reveals plans for 2015
Microsoft continues to improve its mobile productivity options by acquiring Sunrise for $100 million
Rumors has it that Amazon might be interested in buying RadioShack’s stores for its retail expansion
Google’s self-driving cars may provide new competition for Uber

Data
Rush hour varies by geography; this beautiful infograph reveals commute times by state
The vaccination debate is hot again, here’s a chart to help navigate the issues

Cities
Seattle is growing (fast); the newcomers are changing the town and brining a new energy to the city
A Detroit commuter walks 21 miles to work everyday
Mini city set lets urbanists build their own city

Inspiration
Perspective to get through a rough patch in life
The important lessons learned from failure
Checking off an extra to-do item each day can help make a dent in long term goals

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user Yohan]

Love Lost In Foursquare Breakup

As a hardcore Foursquare user, I hate to admit it but the service has lost a bit of its mojo with the recent update which split the service into two components – Foursquare and Swarm.

The new Foursquare functions similar to Yelp and expands on the service’s previous efforts to focus on local discovery and recommendations. Foursquare continues to deliver on both aspects but now relies on Swarm, its sister app for new location data.

Swarm functions much like the original Foursquare and is faster than its predecessor for check ins. Some of the components migrated over from the original service include the ability to see nearby friends, check in to various locations, and view venue specific info. Added to the service is an increased awareness of your location when you open the app, stickers to represent actions, and similar to Facebook’s recent “Nearby Friends” feature, the ability to broadcast and share your location with friends to increase the chance of impromptu meet-ups.

Core components missing from the new apps include the stat board, badges, points, and Foursquare's popular Mayorships.

The Foursquare breakup while not perfect isn’t a death sentence for the location service necessarily. It’s likely only the beginning of the next chapter.

As a longtime underdog in the social media world Foursquare has adapted and changed with the times. It has proved it can be resilient and focused on an established vision. All being said however with its increasing age, it runs the risk of losing ground to newer apps on the market. One of the most notable is Move. It was recently acquired by Facebook and tracks movement and location without the need for user driven check ins. Paradoxically, it’s powered by Foursquare for location data.

For now I’m still in, even if it means I can’t be the Mayor of my favorite spots.

Orting – Hometown by Default

I’m never really sure what to say when people ask me where I’m from. The short answer is always, Orting, Washington. This answer used to get a couple of pauses and a brief, “awe, where is it located exactly?” Like I frequently do after receiving a puzzled look, let me give you my Orting pitch to help you understand this little town nestled arguably dangerously close to Mount Rainier.

Orting is a picturesque town in a lot of ways. As it was once described to me it’s an island of sorts which sits between two major rivers – the Puyallup and Carbon. Both flow down from Mount Rainier. On clear days the mountain will take your breath away with its scale and varying colors which change with the sun and weather conditions.

As a former rail stop between a few mining towns further east, Orting has a distinctive “downtown” core which spans a few blocks located near the old station. While no urban metropolis, it offers up a mix of amenities including a local drug store, library (my name is actually engraved on a clock located here), Mexican restaurant, and a few other small shops. The downtown is split in half by the City Park. When I was growing up the park was the place to be during Orting’s few city specific festivals such as Red Hat Day, Summer in the Park, and the yearly Daffodil Festival.

My favorite part of the town is the extensive bike trail which runs all the way from Puyallup to South Prairie. When my older brother and I became farm hands one summer on a local raspberry farm we used the trail to commute. In the early mornings after we were done picking berries my brother and I would race down the trail back home and then eventually to Blockbuster to rent video games.

Past the town parts of Orting the rail reaches back into the woods and runs adjacent to the Puyallup River for miles along an old railroad track. The calming nature of the woods is enough to make even the most stressed person relax.

And I can’t forget about the Lion’s Club field located just on the outskirts of town. It’s not much more than a giant patch of grass with a few lines setup for soccer but it’s an amazing place to be during the Fourth of July. The whole town usually comes out for the event and you start to ask yourself, “is this town really so small?”

While I spent my high school years in Orting it’s not my original home. Throughout childhood my family lived in many places along the Puget Sound including Seattle, Federal Way, and Kent. Orting was our final destination. While I often hate to admit it at times, wishing I was from somewhere “cooler,” more “cosmopolitan,” or “famous,” Orting is where I hang my hat and call home.

It’s the place I became a “track star,” my father achieved his dream of becoming a city councilmen, and my family established a name for itself. Like many things in this world, meaning is derived from context; for me that means where I’m from has varying degrees of complexity but the short of it is, I’m from Orting.

“Seoul, Our Movie” Video Contest

Attention aspiring filmmakers, the city of Seoul is looking for help making a movie. The film titled, “Seoul, Our Movie” (currently in production) is focused on capturing the diverse experiences and feelings related to Seoul. When complete the city hopes the film will help introduce Seoul to new global citizens and increase people’s love for Seoul.

The initiative was launched by the city of Seoul in August and is being led by PARKing CHANce – a Korean film making studio owned by Park Chan-wook who recently debuted his film Stoker in Hollywood and Park Chan-kyong a prominent Korean artist.

Interested filmmakers can participate in this global film project by recording and uploading short clips (no more than 5 minutes) to the “Seoul, Our Movie” YouTube channel. The clips should relate to one of the film’s three themes - working in Seoul, made in Seoul, and Seoul (full explanation of each listed below in the theme section). The portrayal of aspects of Seoul can be both tangible and intangible. Genre of clips can vary but project organizers will not accept parody style clips.

Top clips will be added to the overall film being produced by PARKing CHANce and the best filmmakers will be rewarded with prizes. A few of the prizes include a free trip to Seoul, new Kia, laptops, and many other fun prizes. Best of luck to all participants; happy shooting!

How to Participate
1) Visit and subscribe to the “Seoul, Our Movie” YouTube Channel
2) Choose one of the three themes and create a video based on the selected theme
3) Upload your video to the “Seoul, Our Movie” YouTube Channel before November 9, 2013 at 11:50 PM (KST)

Note:  Publish your video by adding a comment with a link to your video on YouTube

Themes 
1) Working in Seoul: Show a typical day of a working Seoulite
2) Made in Seoul: Make use of a Korean made smartphone and explain its impact on your life
3) Seoul: Show any experience or feeling relating to Seoul

Contest Overview Once the submission process of the contest ends on November 9^th at 11:59 PM (KST), PARKing CHANce will select appropriate clips to incorporate into the overall film and add professional edits where needed. Entries will be judged on creativity, originality of expression, and number of views and likes on YouTube.

After all of these quantitative and qualitative aspects are measured, the best clips will be selected by PARKing CHANce. Top filmmakers will be entered for a chance to win cool prizes including a free trip to Seoul, new Kia, laptops, and many other fun prizes.

Submission Period

•  8/20/2013 – 11/9/2013 at 11:59pm (KST)

Contest Specifics

• Open to all global citizens who love Seoul;  no restrictions
• All video formats able to upload to YouTube are accepted 
• All videos must include “Seoul” in their titles
• Videos must be under 5 minutes
• Acceptable Genres: Documentaries,  fiction films, films of reenacted events, self-filmed movies, films created from still photos, etc. ALL PARODY FILMS WILL BE REJECTED

Contest Website: www.seoulourmovie.com/en/overview/overview.asp
Contest YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/seoulourmovie
Related Article in WSJ : http://on.wsj.com/1e2J1Dn
Related Article in Blouin Art: http://bit.ly/GHjk05

Which Way is the Gayborhood? Seattle’s Capitol Hill

Earlier this month I attended "Evolution of the Gay-borhood" co-hosted by the Greater Seattle Businesses Association (GSBA) and Out for Sustainability. The event focused on defining the notion of a Gayborhood and had voices from around the community to speak about various topics related to retaining the neighborhood's identity and sense of place. 

One of the standout presenters was Louise Chernin, CEO of the GSBA. She articulately defined the meaning of a Gayborhood. Her definition is as follows, a Gayborhood is a place where LGBT people historically have lived in large numbers. Their presence usually has a noticeable impact on the surrounding community values and businesses. Today these places retain cultural history and are important destinations to celebrate key milestones in the fight for LGBT equality.

Louise was quick to point out however that Gayborhoods shouldn't be thought of as the only LGBT place in the region. Historically Seattle's gay population has called a variety of neighborhoods and cities home; we're beginning to see members of the LGBT community live in places far outside of the historic center. Two notable hot spots include West Seattle and Vashon Island. Louise went on to stress the fact that neighborhoods develop and retain identities tied to their "founders." Similar to ethnic ghettos long inhabited by Jews, Blacks, or Asians, Gayborhoods will always retain a sense of history and place of importance to the community.

Michael Brown, a geography professor from the University of Washington followed up shortly after Louise and added a few noteworthy points to consider. Like many items in Seattle, Capitol Hill is a place heavily infused with mythology and hyperbole. He challenged the audience to think about the fuzziness and ask, "Where are the blurred lines and what's being left out of the discussion." His point behind this statement was Seattle's gay history when reviewed as a whole is actually more complex than just a single place.

Looking not too far back into the city's history, Michael noted that Seattle's Gayborhood was actually birthed in Pioneer Square and has shifted a number of times since to accommodate new tastes and demands. As he jokingly put it, "No one wants to go to their parents' gay bars." The visibility and scale of the community also added pressure for it to move to a new location. It first migrated up to the upper portion of Capitol Hill – roughly between 12th St to 15th St (west-east) and East Mercer St to Pine St (north-south), and has since migrated back further down west to encompass a larger swath of land, arguably - like all Seattle neighborhood boundaries, I-5 to 15th St (west-east) and East Mercer St to Pine St (north-south).

The future of the neighborhood is increasingly unsure. With the city as a whole doing well economically, there is increased pressure to further develop the neighborhood which is leading to some changes in the built environment and community. Tom Rasumusn, Seattle City Councilmember, spoke first on this point. He highlighted the city's growing commitment to retaining the neighborhood’s diversity and character by preserving "auto row" style buildings and encouraging small businesses to develop over big chain stores. The Pike/Pine Corridor has even gained special protection under the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District which dictates what types of development can take place. In terms of preserving LGBT community within the area, there is a big push being backed by Capitol Hill Housing and GSBA to support the creation of a LGBT community visitor center within the new Capitol Hill light rail station. The center would serve all members of the community but would also place heavy emphasis on supporting LGBT youth and elders - a segment of the population which is considered ignored by many experts.   

Washington state and Seattle specifically is fortunate to have Capitol Hill. It's a major local economic engine and has become an international beacon for the LGBT community. Moving forward it will be increasingly important to continue dialogue about maintaining the character of the neighborhood while still allowing for growth. Gayborhoods and other ethnic ghettos will always continue to evolve and change, the most important question however is how.

[Photos Courtesy of Out for Sustainability, Seattle Times, and City of Seattle]

New Town, Same Look and Feel - Sim City

Sim City has returned with a new mix of addictive gameplay. Like its predecessors this edition is a sandbox style game focused on the dynamics of city building. The game thrusts you into a simulation where you can craft a city in your own image. While easy to get started the game gets more challenging as you progress.

Pros
Mega Projects Are Outside of Your Domain
As mayor you no longer have complete control of mega projects such as freeways and railroads. These elements are built into maps. Not all mega projects are out of your reach however. Big ticket items such as international airports, large power plants, and mega buildings can be completed in the Great Works portion of the region’s map. These colossal projects can be undertaken by a single mayor but the amount of resources required makes it much more beneficial to collaborate with others in the region.

Your Buildings Level Up
Many of the core civic and economic buildings in the game are no longer stagnant and can be upgraded. A majority of them feature snap on modules such as an additional bus stall for schools or a new wing for your hospital. Other upgrades become available after completing a specific goal. City Hall for example levels up based on your population.

Discover Your Specialty
Specialization is one of the most intriguing new features of the game. Mayors now have the choice to make use of natural resources inside city limits. Resources include coal, oil, and ore; availability highly dependent on your location however. This dynamic forces mayors to carefully evaluate maps before laying down streets. After all you may not want to pave over a valuable oil well. Would you?

Cons
Always On
To create a dynamic Sim world Maxis now requires players to remain online to play the game. While this feature creates interesting dynamics such as a global market for goods and the ability to play with your friends, it also presents some challenges. One major issue with this approach is the game is unusable offline. It’s also heavily reliant on the Maxis’ servers which were not fully operational during launch and continue to show reliability issues.

Hop on the Bus
Maxis decided to remove the subway from the game. While always an expensive option for city’s in the past, it was one of the most effective ways to move your Sims around. Options have been severely cut back. Buses now serve as your city’s primary means of public transportation. The most advanced option available is the streetcar which is not as fast as the subway and more difficult to place in  the city.

You Can’t Grow Without City Hall
Government takes a more active role this time around with a handful of the game’s advanced buildings being tied to the level of city hall. From schools to stadiums, you won’t be able to build some of the larger items right off the bat. Luckily Maxis has built a workaround for this dilemma. For example, if another mayor in your region already added a specific wing such as utilities to their city hall your city will gain access to advance utility features as well.

Verdict
Overall the game is a solid addition to the series. It’s new challenges and tools create  a fresh experience for seasoned mayors and newbies alike. Find me on the U.S. West Coast Server. Mayor name: SeaTrain.

Happy building fellow mayors!