Friday 5, July 17th-23rd

What I’ve read this week:

• Urban Authenticity. Authenticity is a word thrown out a lot by urbanist. This succinct post by Richard Florida links to an unlikely authority to illustrate why it is so important—and powerful. (The Atlantic)

• Welcome to gentrification, the game. This sure ain’t your mother’s Monopoly! A Toronto based artist collective developed a location-based game that offers participants a unique way to explore their neighborhood and learn about the impacts of gentrification. (The Toronto Star)

• Getting Off Oil: Forget Hybrids And Solar Panels, We Need Active, Exciting and Vibrant Cities. A refreshing way of thinking about creating more sustainable cities and communities. (Treehugger)

• Civic Choices: The Quality vs Quantity Dilemma. My favorite contemporary urban commentator, Aaron Renn (aka The Urbanophile) has written another insightful post on an issue that I have spent a lot of time thinking about—the two solitudes of American cities. (New Geography)

• Transit Agencies Find New On-Ramps to the Information Superhighway. A look at how (and why) transit agencies across the United States (and in particular the western states) are embracing social media tools to reach and engage with their riders and the public. (Intransition)

Related posts:

1. Friday Five: July 3-9
2. Friday Five: my favorite reads from the past week
3. Saturday 6: a special edition of what I've been reading this week
4. Friday 5 – July 10th-16th
5. Friday 5: June 26 – July 2