A daily briefing of the newest stories on SmartPlanet, five days a week.
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Q&A: Michael Jantzen, artist and designer of the built environment
For Michael Jantzen, buildings are more than their architecture. His work, ranging from a solar-powered vineyard to a house made of silo roofs, combines art, technology and engineering to create a sustainable built environment. Read the full story
Satellite technology soon to help planes land in Seattle
Starting in June, Alaska Airlines will test out NextGen satellite technology when landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Read the full story
When is a landmark building too ugly to preserve?
As boxy, Modernist architecture ages, it can seem outdated and hideous–or deemed endangered historical structures. What’s most important: a building’s style, design history, or repair cost? Read the full story
Ikea begins urban planning project
As Ikea is in full-swing planning a new eco-friendly housing development in Oregon, a few questions comes to mind, such as: How much will it be like the prototype living rooms we can find inside of an Ikea? And, do we need an Allen key to move in? Read the full story
Brooklyn to host nation’s largest rooftop garden
Support for projects like these adds momentum for the growing locavore movement. Read the full story
The Morning Briefing: Solar power
“The Morning Briefing” is SmartPlanet’s daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we’re reading about the solar power industry. Read the full story
Your future tech home could look like this
A company in Oregon is putting a whole new spin on urban planning that give us a new meaning to prefab homes and the conception of “mobile homes.” Read the full story
Computer model tracks pandemics and predicts outcomes
Scientists at Virginia Tech created a computer model that simulates the spread of the disease to help with future tracking efforts. Read the full story
Looking for the origins of the universe? Head to Chile
One of the largest ground-based astronomical projects will feature a $1 billion array of radio telescopes used to study the universe’s origins. Read the full story
Female entrepreneurs more likely to think social
New research by a business school PhD candidate suggests more women tend to think about social gain when starting companies, while men are more likely to focus on economic gain. Read the full story
SF is ground zero for redesigning, rethinking coastal zones
What does smart growth mean for beaches hammered by erosion, exacerbated by climate change? In San Francisco, city planners, engineers and a network of agencies are struggling to find out. Read the full story
Human reproduction rewritten?
Could lab-grown egg cells revolutionize fertility treatments and stem the menopause? Read the full story
Crowdfunding: What it means for investors
As President Obama signed the Crowdfunding bill into law on Thursday, there are new opportunities for startups and investors. But for the latter, they will not see the full effect of the bill until 2013. Read the full story
Burrowing owls, Sierra Club, and the world’s largest solar farm
8minuteenergy Renewables and the Sierra Club partnered to plan for what could become the world’s largest solar farm. Read the full story
New solution for ‘middle of the night’ insomnia?
A new pill may be able to battle ‘middle of the night’ insomnia — without missing your morning shift. Read the full story
Is architecture a better economic indicator?
Should we drop the Baltic Dry Index for the monthly survey that tracks the design and building industry? Read the full story
All-you-can-fly airline takes off in California
Surf Air caters to entrepreneurs and investors, allowing for endless travel between Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. Read the full story
Building a megabusiness from the ground up
Large-scale food entrepreneurs are building huge supply chains from scratch where they find the ingredients, build the farms and open retail locations that sell their produce. Read the full story
Cell phone spam: a growing problem
Regulators are trying to find new ways to combat the growing problem of cellphone spam. Read the full story