Friday Five: What I Read in the Week that Was

Usually I have a hard time whittling down my weekly reading list to just five.  This week I didn’t have a problem.  Not because there weren’t tons of great articles out there, but because I haven’t had a chance to read as much.  Here are about the only five articles I read this week (although they are all excellent ):

Credit: Nobara Hayakawa (Flickr: nobara)

• Consequential Strangers: A review of a book that looks at why the people we take for granted like our car mechanic, the bakery clerk and the fellow dog-walkers at the park, are actually more important people in our lives than we may imagine.

• Bill Gates Is Wrong As Usual: To Mac addicts like me, this title may not be shocking, but the reason just may be.  This post looks at why Gates’ recent TED presentation was wrong-headed and potentially dangerous to the climate change movement.

• Can We Design Cities for Happiness: another way at looking at urban success.  Key passage: “Economics, urban planning, ecology are only the means. Happiness is the goal”.

• The 10% Solution: The post links to one of the best articles I’ve read on urban strategy in a long while.  It is a great reminder at how seemingly modest goals can have transformative impacts. I will be following up on this concept and how it applies to Phoenix in the near future

• Getting to Yes on Open Data: This article appealed to the policy wonk in me.  Open Data could be a game changer in how cities services are delivered, as well as increase accountability, and, ultimately, increased trust with our local governments.

This is day 24 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 4 days to go.

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