One billion squatters claim leftover spaces in cities and live in unauthorized dwellings made of locally available, oftentimes scavenged, materials. Poverty is rapidly urbanizing. Rural residents affected by the decline of agricultural jobs (among other push-factors) relocate to cities in search of work, but often cannot afford the higher cost of living. As a result,
Design matters, even in the virtual world. World of Warcraft is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, or MMORPG. It is so popular that over six million people play it worldwide. What makes MMORPGs unique is the in-game community, economy, and politics fostered by the players. Real phenomena occur in a virtual place. Players in
Everybody wants a piece of the country – but when your piece gets too close to my piece, it’s not the country anymore. There is a spectacular farm in Powhatan, Virginia called Oak Leaf. Soon, it will be a subdivision called Oak Leaf. The farm was recently purchased, rezoned, and divided into 50 residential lots.
Eagerly anticipating the events of the “Great American Boycott” (an impressive response to HR 4437), I spent all weekend checking local news sites for updates. Oh, how I wanted something big to happen in my town. But the only news I read threatened any potential excitement with article titles inspiring uncertainty such as Hispanics in
Lauren Newman lives in Richmond, Virginia. She majored in urban planning, married her high school sweetheart, and dreams about moving to Mexico. More »