IN THE 13 YEARS I’VE BEEN WRITING for Planning magazine, I have been slow to pick up on the impact of technology on planning research and practice. In this column, I will try to make up for some lost time. There is a continuum between the initial conception of a research paper, draft submission to a journal, revision and resubmission, online publication, and final publication in hard copy. The two papers reviewed in this column are earlier in the process than my norm, but it in no way changes the basic point of the column. Planning, meet technology.

The American Planning Association’s Planning Magazine has a dedicated column written by Professor Reid Ewing called “Research You Can Use.” This column highlights academic research and puts it into context so that professional planners can practically apply its findings.