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10 PLANNING COMMISSIONERS JOURNAL / NUMBER 78 / SPRING 2010 on that least sexy of topics, infrastructure. The “Beyond the Motor City” episode goes deeper than most reporting into Detroit’s woes, and is supple- mented on the website by addi- tional interviews and slideshows. DATA .GOV data.gov The locked doors of the gov- ernment are now open. This site contains three separate catalogs of data and data-based tools for government information: the raw data catalog, which includes a variety of data streams and file formats, the online tool catalog of compiled searches and resources, and the geodata cata- log of geography-based data streams. Data.gov is part of the federal government’s Open Gov- doesn’t stop at the border. This well-informed website covers the range of infrastructure issues being faced all over the globe – from high speed rail to highways to renewable energy. As global cities lean away from the private automobile and towards public transit systems, The Infrastructurist’s editorial purview is wonkiness that’s right on time. THE “ISTS” gothamist.com / laist.com During the internet boom, a lot of companies were seeking to create the “go-to” source for local and “hyper-local” news. After all, with newspapers dying and taking far too long to get a real web pres- ence, there was a real void for local coverage. A number of challengers stood up, but the “Ist” network pulled it off with style. And, amazingly, they’ve kept up the promise of timely coverage of local government issues, including the goings-on at the planning department and city hall. LAist (the Los Angeles edi- tion), for one, has done a great job of reporting the ongoing fiascos at the planning depart- ment over the plague of digital billboards. Granted, among the Top Websites for Citizen Planners Throughout the year, the edi- tors of Planetizen – www.planetizen.com – look at hundreds of planning-related websites and online publica- tions. There are many sites out there that are useful to citizen planners and concerned citizens. We’ve gone through all the newest websites and picked out just a few of the most valuable and informative resources, pro- viding an overview of the must- see sites for anyone interested in creating healthy and livable communities. ernment Directive, and serves as a clearinghouse for federal pub- lic information. It’s also a major part of the government’s effort to become more accessible and transparent. As the potential of open data and open government evolve, this site is likely to play a major role in the way govern- ment information is shared. GOOD good.is Like its name implies, GOOD is a magazine focused on the good things in life. Not luxuries so much, but more along the lines of good ideas. It’s a quarter- ly print magazine that has devel- oped into a vibrant online publication. The magazine was founded in 2006, but over the course of the last year has taken on a strong city focus in its edi- torial work. With innovative and well-designed info- graphics, and a raft of columns and articles on design, neighborhoods, and cities, GOOD is developing into an accessible, lay-person friendly discussion of the best ideas in city making and community improvement. Good indeed. THE INFRASTRUCTURIST infrastructurist.com The Infrastructurist may well be the most comprehensive and focused resource for infrastruc- ture-related news in the United States. But the story BLUEPRINT AMERICA pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/ With Netflix streaming movies and shows migrating to Hulu, time in front of the TV set is becoming increasingly scarce. Meanwhile, PBS and NPR have become more relevant than ever, cranking out high-quality docu- mentaries that are timely and topical, and yes, often online. Blueprint America is a PBS series Planetizen Update S PRING: Top Websites FALL:Planning Perspectives S UMMER:Noteworthy Books W INTER:Top News Stories