After documenting places like the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and the vertical walls of El Capitan in Yosemite, the Google Streetview team thought small for its latest project.
Aarian Marshall has good news for anyone who loves trains but hasn't been able to make the trek out to Hamburg, Germany to see Miniatur Wunderland: "[a] Google Maps project takes viewers inside the 215,000-resident city, which boasts a picturesque, Austrian-style village, a skiing lodge, a high-density downtown area, a working airport, and approximately 42,650 feet of track."
If you're not yet convinced of the awesomeness of Miniatur Wunderland, Marshall also writes that the model totals 14,000 square feet, including 1,270 signals, 3,050 switches, 8,850 cars, and 228,000 trees—all rund by run by 46 computers and. Moreover, 230 people spent 580,000 hours building the thing.
Google gets it, so working with a German company called Ubilabs, the tech giant built a "lil’Google car, which rode the mini rails, the mini streets, and the mini runways to reproduce the incredibly detailed model in 365-degree views."
So after watching the preview video created by the Google Streeview team below, access Google's work to document Miniatur Wunderland an image gallery and a blog post in addition to the full Streetview experience.
FULL STORY: Take a Trip Inside the Teeniest, Tiniest Transit System
Friday Eye Candy: Move a Train...With Your Mind
Have you ever wanted to make the trains run on time? Or maybe just make the trains run at all? We have just the thing for you.
Federal Funding for California High-Speed Rail Under Review
USDOT says it will evaluate the funding currently committed to the construction of California’s high-speed rail project, which has run years behind schedule and billions over its projected budget.
South Florida Commuter Rail Tops Pre-Pandemic Ridership
The Tri-Rail service connects Miami to Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service