My weekly reading list for urbanists, urbanites and city dwellers:

• 5 Ways Cities Are Using Social Media To Reverse Economic Downturn: The economic downturn has forced cities and states across the country to be more creative as they compete to attract companies and stimulate local economies. (Mashable)

• What Would Palo Soleri Do? My Friend Taz Loomans reflects on the insights and impact of urban visionary Palo Soleri. (Blooming Rock)

• The Battle for Control of Smart Cities: Will tech-powered cities revolutionize the way we live or hand corporations the keys to our privacy? (Fast Company)

• Does Urbanism Have To Be Black And White? One demographic seems to be overrepresented amongst urbanists: young, white, and male. It shouldn’t be that way. (Grist by @blackurbanist)

• Why Resilience Beats Sustainability: Why, in the times we are moving into now the concept or resilience is a much more useful idea than that of sustainability. (TreeHugger)