Many University Departments and Academic Establishments covering Planning and the built environment are becoming active in using the Internet as an educational resource. There are some very good examples of sites both within this country and elsewhere in the world (e.g. Hong Kong). Our pick of the Net is set out below.
CTI Centre for the Built Environment
The 'Computers in Teaching Initiative' for the Built Environment at University of Wales, Cardiff, which was set up to encourage the use of learning technology in higher education. The site contains much useful information, including reviews of software relevant to the built environment, such as 'virtual cities' and Geographic Information Systems.
The RUDI Initiative at Oxford Brookes University
The 'Resources for Urban Design' Initiative is a massive project aimed at bringing together multi-media information for research and teaching in the field of urban design in the Western world.
University of Newcastle's Department of Town and Country Planning
A set of home pages giving information about the work of the Department, links to other internet sites, and details of publications, research and newsletters relating to the built environment. The University also hosts the Urban-Regional-Planning Mailing List which is one of the largest mailing lists relating to the built environment.
Online Planning from Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College, London (maintained by Andy Smith) which looks at the ways the planning system may change through the use of the Internet (including public participation, the virtual city and virtual design). An excellent site so visit it!
Taub Urban Research Centre at New York University
Well worth a look because of its research interests and publications relating to the effects of the Internet upon the built environment.
PAIRC - The Planning and Architecture Internet Resource Centre
Hosted by the University of Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, the site contains a comprehensive directory of internet resources relating the built environmnent, includes details of mailing lists and Usenet newsgroups, and incorporates a message area. It holds just less than 5500 links to other sites!
Centre of Urban Planning & Environmental Management (University of Hong Kong)
One of the best academic site of all because of its world-wide outlook on the built environment. It maintains a useful register of Planning World-Wide-Web Sites.
PlanWeb is designed by Town Planners for Town Planners and the Land and Property Professions. Our site is experimental so please send us feed-back on what you think, together with any items of Internet News, interesting sites, or other topics which you would like to see included. If you've spotted a good Academic Planning Site that we've missed out, then please let us know so that we can include it. E-mail to Peter Thorpe at pthorpe@compuserve.com
