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Would you like to play with cities like urban planners? Here are the games you should try!
Games are mostly registered as a tool for entertainment. Well, we can’t deny that because it’s highly interactive as well. However, there is a secret powerful element that games pose. We might not aware of that element but subconsciously we are affected by it. It’s a secret way of teaching. Throughout our education, we learned most things either from classes or from books. However, we all experienced that, the ones that we most remember are those that we use in our daily life or learned from practice. Any interactive tool is way better for educators than any theoretical information.
Pile Up © Remoob
Right now, games are the most interactive digital entertainment platform in the sector. Which makes them wonderful tools for education. Games like Civilization, Crusader Kings III, Total War series, and much more game that simulates history or any other subject start to educate you about the different nation’s history, politics in the Medival age, and city planning. That’s where the neat part comes in, If you are struggling with city planning or the benefits between Grid and Radial planning well some games might help you with that. I guarantee you, you will end up having an addiction to one of these three games. Those games are must-play for urban planners.
Cities Skylines – Grid PlanningCities: Skylines is a city-builder developed in Unity3D by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive. If you are familiar with SimCity, then think this game is a bit more detailed compared to SimCity. So, what makes Cities: Skylines special for urban planners? Well, the game starts pretty basic, in the start you are encouraged to design your dream city.
In the start, you have three different types of zones that specify areas which are Residental, Comercial, and Industrial. You might guess Residental is for accommodation, Comercial for shops and selling goods that are produced from the Industrial zone, and last but not least Industrial which produces goods. Those three are just zones, you don’t have to put buildings one by one, however, that’s where the Municipal section comes in. In the Municipal section, you have to provide police stations, fire departments, and much more either security, logistic or health-related problems. Those buildings do not serve every neighborhood, they have a limited radius and citizens that they can serve.
Traffic – Cities: Skylines
So you have to plan accordingly and in time Residential areas start to build skyscrapers for more people so you have to turn police stations into police departments. If you think this is complicated well let me say this, this is not even the tip of the iceberg. Since Industrial zones create pollution you have to locate them far away from the city and solve the logistics, if you don’t then you will start to lose money since you can’t transfer any goods to the commercial zone. If you try to locate them close to the Comercial zone then you will start to have plague cause of pollution. We are not just talking about land pollution. Sea and air pollutions are also on the table. You have to consider where the wind blows.
Water Pollution – Cities: Skylines
Land Value – Cities: Skylines
In time you have to provide some education to your citizens, you might ask if there are benefits if you provide education. Yes, if you provide college then you will end up having special structures like an art academy in city or a Researcher Center which will improve your city. Right now we talked about all kinds of zones and constructions what about green areas? If your citizens do not have access to a park or a green area, they will start to have depression they will leave the city for the good, and the abandoned house will affect the morale of that neighborhood. Actually, when you are playing this game you should think like urban planners.
Cimtographer Map © Ben Ross
Square Albert Besnard, Paris, France © smods
Plus, you might not believe it but you can export the map of the city you have designed. A mod called “Cimtographer” allows you to export your city’s maps to OSM (OpenStreet Map) format. Have fun!
Frostpunk – Radial PlanningIf you are looking for a city builder game that’s full of survival and making tough choices to protect your citizens then Frostpunk might be for you. Frostpunk is a City Builder/Survival game that was made by 11-bit Studios. The game takes place in an apocalyptic global cooling scenario. Citizens of this world are restless, cold, hungry, and hopeless. The game has a steampunk style so the only source of heat comes from generators in the city. As the governor, you have to rule this city which is called “New London” by researching new technologies, resource management, urban planning, assigning the right people at the right places, developing automatons to help with production, and making tough decisions, deciding whom to live and whom to die.
Riot – Frostpunk
What do we mean by these tough decisions? Well, in the game coal is your main resource to keep the generator on to produce heat. However, you don’t have enough people to gather enough coal so either you have to extend the working hours which will cause you to lose morale and riot, after that they will overthrow you, or apply new laws like child labor, using kids as a workforce. If you choose those options people still lose hope but not as much as the previous choice. However, mothers will start to beg to you for stopping their kids to send mine. With this choice, you might improve coal production but from time to time there will be accidents in which either some kids will be stuck in a mine elevator or die in an accident. Those events will affect your community devastatingly. This is just a tip of it, furthermore, in the game, you will face more challenging decisions that you have to make and you will start to question your morality.
Road Map – Frostpunk
Heat Map – Frostpunk
So, where is the part that concerns urban planners the most? Well, before jumping to the planning first we have to talk about what building types we have. If we explain it in a simple way we have Bunkhouse, Tent, Medical Post, Infirmary, Child Shelter, Cook House, Resource Depot, and many more. You have to keep those buildings warm If you want them to work properly. Also at the start, you have one main Generator to warm the city but later in the game, you can build small Generators across streets but they will consume way much more coal.
As an Urban Planner, you are allowed to design a radial planned city and use that planning system for every benefit to survive in this world, you have to design a city that heats every building by using the minimum resource you can. If you fail to do that in the endgame there is a huge storm that’s waiting for you and you will need every resource you can get. Even if you struggle with citizens and their morale then you will have to apply new laws to keep them in order, this might sound chaotic but remember this is not a chill game like Cities: Skylines.
Frostpunk – Urban Plan Solutions © u/throwawaysmy
Frostpunk game keeps you awake every minute and shows you the consequences of your action. Nevertheless, you can use two different ruling systems to rule the city. One of them is “Order” in which you will use force and thought police to keep order in the city. The second choice is “Faith” using religion as a source of hope. If you don’t like those choices then you have to be great at urban designing and resource management.
This game will question your choices and makes you understand that each decision in city planning they have consequences. Every choice is permanent, each resource is precious. Right now we are destroying and building new designs like nothing but in this game, you might acknowledge that material is a precious thing and whatever happens people, don’t lose hope. The City Must Survive.
Block’hood – Vertical PlanningWe have talked about different types of planning and games that you can apply however, what about vertical cities? Right now we don’t have a real example to show that but some games simulate how they might look like. The interesting part is that in the endgame they look like a sculpture.
Block’hood is a city builder game made by plethora-project but with a slight difference. This game focuses on the ideas of ecology, interdependence, and decay. You are encouraged to build a neighborhood by building structures from the games catalog which consists of 200+ blocks. Players are challenged to maintain an ecological balance, each block you have placed will consume and produce different kinds of resources. The interesting part is that each block will slowly decay and deteriorate to point of collapse. Your creations will attract not just people but also animals. It’s in your hands to provide a positive environment but positive for whom?
Block’hood © Plethora Project
The game makes the player discuss ecological system thinking and question the impact of urbanism. However, you are not expected to do it horizontally. You have very limited space so you must design a vertical city plan. Each block must have a connection with a certain type of block such as energy production must be connected to factories but factories must be avoided from farming areas. The game won the “Best Gameplay” award at the Games for Change festival in New York in 2023. Plus it was one of the finalists for “Games for Impact” at the Game Awards in Los Angeles in 2023. Designing this horizontally can be easy but vertically, well that is what makes this interesting.
When we design cities the Horizontal way we end up having a top view that looks like an image of a circuit. Each line connects to a structure and looks like a living system, however when we design it vertically way the overall image we are having looks like just one mass. Unity, wholeness, completeness. Like a sculptor in my mind. If we are a living system when we live in a horizontally planned city, what we are if we live in a vertically planned city? Would we be better at getting socializing?
You're reading Playing With Cities Like An Urban Planner: Cities Skylines, Frostpunk, And Block’hood
These Young Cities Are Solving Age
HUMANITY HAS BEEN kicking around for a long time, so it’s hard to find cities that are distinctly “new.” But the rare newcomers, together with reinventions of aging metropolises, are tackling age-old problems in novel ways. We suggest the rest of the world take notes.
From Rome’s vast Trajan’s Forum to Angkor Wat’s stone temples, cities have been magnets for trade, art, and culture since ancient times. Urban living as we know it first emerged around 3500 B.C.E. along the Nile Valley and Sumerian coast. Unlike the semipermanent villages that came before them, these social and political hubs were built around sophisticated systems of agriculture and transportation. Today, around 56 percent of the world’s population is urban, and by 2050 that number could jump to around 70 percent, by some estimates.
While metropolises continue to serve as centers for economic growth, they’re also facing unprecedented challenges: affordable housing crises, unemployment, healthcare shortages, food and water scarcity, and social inequity. They’re also on the front lines of climate change. With 90 percent of all urban areas located on coasts, they’re vulnerable to rising seas, in addition to heavy rainfall and extreme heat.
But with these obstacles come opportunities to reimagine our densest spaces. In the past two decades alone, more than 150 new cities have sprung up from scratch in more than 40 countries, and centuries-old settlements have begun to replace their crumbling infrastructures and establish radical new ways of living. Here are seven centers of innovation tackling the most daunting issues of our time—from climate change and overcrowding to biodiversity loss and poverty—that can serve as blueprints for communities around the globe.
Medellín, Colombia. Photo: Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images
The Aerial CityIn the 1980s and ’90s, Medellín became infamous as the center of Colombia’s drug trade. At the same time, growing political violence in rural areas meant hundreds of thousands of people fled to urban centers in search of safety and economic opportunity. Informal settlements cropped up along the slopes of the Aburrá Valley, where low-income housing crowded on the fringes of the city at an average of around 160 dwellings per acre (about as dense as downtown Chicago or Portland). Public transit couldn’t navigate the steep terrain, narrow streets, and numerous streams. The city’s most disenfranchised faced hours-long commutes to jobs and basic services, and became increasingly isolated—geographically, socially, and economically. Years of research suggest areas of concentrated poverty experience higher crime rates, poor health outcomes, and low school attendance—but more robust public transit can help create more equitable cities. In 2004, Metro de Medellín introduced a creative, low-cost solution: the first aerial cable car system fully integrated into public transport. Average trip times dropped from 120 minutes to 65. Some planners think it could be a useful model for other cities—from Seattle to Mumbai—where low-wage workers are pushed to the periphery. Medellín’s success has inspired similar projects throughout Latin America, including in Caracas, Mexico City, and La Paz.
Tempe, Arizona. Photo: Optico Design Inc.
The Carless CityThe desert city of Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, having added more than 750,000 residents in just the past decade. It’s also known for being one of the worst culprits when it comes to urban sprawl, meaning residents rely heavily on cars. Just outside Arizona’s unsustainable capital, a new apartment development called Culdesac Tempe has set out to be the first automobile-free community created from scratch in the US. Conveniently located along the light-rail line to downtown Phoenix, this neighborhood sits on a 17-acre lot and will feature a restaurant, a coffee shop, an urban market, e-bikes, scooter shares, and 761 apartments. The first residents—who are strictly forbidden to bring in cars or park in surrounding neighborhoods—are expected to arrive in 2023. While Culdesac Tempe’s no-car rules may seem extreme, it’s the kind of radical action cities are embracing to cut down on parked cars, combat greenhouse gas emissions, and boost health among city dwellers. In fact, the “15-minute city”—a bold urban planning concept based on the idea that everyone should be able to access all their basic needs with a short walk or bike ride—is gaining traction around the world. Paris, for example, has added bike routes and created mini green spaces to increase connectivity and reestablish social connections.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Photo: Margriet Faber/AP
The Floating CityAmsterdam was originally founded as a small fishing village in the 13th century, but today it’s home to around a million people who live 6.5 feet below sea level. To accommodate the still-expanding population, the locals have had to get creative: They’re making more land. In 1996, the construction of IJburg, an archipelago made up of 10 artificial islands, began. The Dutch used a technique called the “pancake method” to form a solid, compacted base. Builders create mesh screens in the size and shape of the future island and secure them underwater without harming wildlife. Then they spray the screens with a layer of sand, which slips through the porous mesh and eventually settles and becomes compacted on the lake bed. Another coating is then sprayed on top, and then another—like pancakes in a stack. When the sand rises around six feet above the water, an island is born. Thus far, four of the seven islands are complete, with networks of buildings, businesses, and walking and biking bridges, all within a 15-minute tram ride of Amsterdam’s Central Station. The idea is to moor floating homes to the new land so they can rise with the sea. IJburg is intended to house up to 45,000 people in 18,000 homes, and it could serve as a model of resilience for the 570-plus other cities that are currently at risk from sea-level rise and storm surges by 2050.
Kiberia, Kenya. Photo: Herrera Inc.
The Communal CityLocated on the outskirts of Nairobi along the Ngong River, the informal settlement of Kibera is home to about a quarter of a million people living on less than 1 square mile. A typical dwelling is about 12 feet by 12 feet and houses eight or more. Poor drainage, sanitation, and housing infrastructure combined with increasing rainfall mean the largely makeshift structures are especially vulnerable to severe flooding. So in 2006, the nonprofit Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) established the Kibera Public Space Project, a network of community-run gathering spots that build flood resilience while creating room for recreation and small businesses. One site serves as a gathering area, school, and place of worship, while its rooftop is used for rainwater harvesting, a technique used to collect and store droplets. When the precious stuff hits the roof, instead of letting it pour freely onto the ground, where it would contribute to flooding, a system of gutters and downspouts channels the liquid into storage tanks, where it can then be used to irrigate a connected greenhouse. KDI has also designed zones that focus on the needs of women and children—like community laundry facilities that sit next to play areas—so women can balance household work and childcare. To date, more than 5,000 residents have been involved in KDI design projects, including the installation of 2,755 feet of new drainage infrastructure, the planting of vegetation to help absorb precipitation, and the construction of these 11 climate-resilient public spaces. These efforts have directly reduced the flood risk for an estimated 8,000 households.
Putrajaya, Malaysia. Photo: Tourism Malaysia
The Garden CityIn the 1980s and ’90s, the Malaysian government sought to consolidate its offices and alleviate traffic in the increasingly congested capital. Putrajaya is the country’s urban solution to both overpopulation and pollution. In addition to new infrastructure, it built something more innovative: artificial wetlands. Construction began in 1997 and took 17.5 months to complete. Because wetlands double as natural water-filtration systems, they were created in the valley of the Chua and Bisa rivers, which had been polluted by oil palm and rubber plantations. Builders dug a network of 24 wetland cells, or earthen depressions, and divided them with low dams to create steplike levels. (This design allows water to flow through the cells and empty into Putrajaya Lake.) Each cell was then filled with topsoil, planted, and fully inundated; along with other open spaces like parks and botanical gardens, they now make up more than one-third of the urban area. The wetlands also host more than 25 species of plants and provide habitat for fish and waterbirds. And the government isn’t stopping there. By 2025, Putrajaya aims to become a “green city,” and it has already increased bike paths and walkways and planted hundreds of thousands of trees to sequester carbon.
Curridabat, Costa Rica. Photo: Municipalidad de Curridabat
The Biodiverse CityCosta Rica covers about 0.03 percent of Earth’s surface but is home to about 6 percent of the world’s biodiversity, and it is a leader in conservation. But San José and the surrounding metropolitan areas aren’t immune to the ways modern urbanization impedes those efforts. Just outside the capital, though, Curridabat is doing things differently. Known as Ciudad Dulce (or Sweet City), the district is promoting the idea that healthy urban development should accommodate nature, not the other way around. To put this idea into practice, Curridabat launched reforestation projects, converted natural ravines into public parks, and created tree-covered walking and biking paths. These so-called biocorridors provide habitats for animals, plants, insects, and birds, all while controlling air pollution, keeping the area cooler, and offering shade to residents on hot days. In February 2023, on the second anniversary of Costa Rica’s commitment to a national plan to reach zero net emissions by 2050, the government announced a new conservation category to protect at-risk ecosystems in cities across the country: Urban Natural Parks. La Colina de Curridabat Ecological Park is among the first to be granted the designation. Cities around the world should pay attention: Urban parks and green spaces have been shown to promote better mental health, boost social cohesion, encourage physical activity, reduce noise and air pollution, and protect from extreme heat.
Zhenjiang, China. Photo: Konkuey Design Initiative
The Sponge CityBetween 1950 and 2023, flooding in China killed an estimated 280,000-plus people and damaged nearly 15 billion acres of land. The nation isn’t alone. According to climate change projections, extreme precipitation and flooding are going to increase worldwide, and cities are especially vulnerable. That’s because vegetation, soil, and trees—which naturally absorb and store groundwater—are scarce compared to highways and buildings. Nestled on the banks of the Yangtze River in eastern China, Zhenjiang is just one of the country’s zones at high risk for inundation. In response to this growing threat, it was one of 16 pilot locations for the “sponge city” project in 2023. The goal is to transform at least 20 percent of the land into permeable surfaces—including parks, rain gardens, green roofs, and pervious pavement—so that neighborhoods can absorb heavy rains. Since the effort launched, Zhenjiang has implemented a rain garden, expanded green spaces, and built storage systems to purify and reuse a deluge. Some 658 Chinese locales have also enacted government-mandated sponge city designs, adapted to their unique geographical needs. Meanwhile, other areas at risk of urban flooding across the globe are deploying their own greening projects to help absorb heavy precipitation, from Philadelphia’s Green Acres program to Cairo’s rooftop garden initiative.
This story originally ran in the Fall 2023 Youth issue of PopSci. Read more PopSci+ stories.
Graham Wilson, Founding Codirector Of Bu’s Initiative On Cities, Will Retire
Graham Wilson, Founding Codirector of BU’s Initiative on Cities, Will Retire
Graham Wilson, who is stepping down as codirector of the Initiative on Cities on July 1 and will retire from the University at the end of the year, helped forge problem-solving partnerships between leaders of America’s cities and BU scholars and students who study cities. Photo by Cydney Scott
University News
Graham Wilson, Founding Codirector of BU’s Initiative on Cities, Will Retire CAS political science professor helped create a nation-spanning partnership between US mayors and the UniversityIn 2014, Graham Wilson shared founding director duties at BU’s Initiative on Cities (IoC) with a marquis name. Working at the IoC with Boston’s longest serving mayor, Thomas Menino (Hon.’01), was “one of the highlights of my career,” says Wilson.
In the seven-plus years since its inception, the IoC pioneered academic polling of US mayors via its annual Menino Survey, sponsored vital research, including COVID-19’s effects on vulnerable urban groups, and forged links between those running cities and scholars studying them at BU and other universities, continuing after Menino’s death from cancer just nine months after joining the IoC.
“I hope that our work, particularly the Menino Survey of Mayors, has helped highlight the needs and concerns of cities,” says Wilson. “Our contribution has been to foster dialogue between cities in the United States and around the world on addressing the problems that confront them—climate change, equity, affordable housing.”
He also cites the study opportunities the organization has created for BU students. “I’m particularly proud of the Metrobridge program,” which pairs Terriers with municipalities to assist on various projects. “I picked up the idea at a conference in San Diego, and…it’s a win-win, win-win program. Cities get needed research done and students have a valuable experience, faculty forge research relationships and the University strengthens its relationship with surrounding communities.”
“What a legacy,” says Katharine Lusk, IoC codirector and founding executive director. “Hundreds of students have participated in MetroBridge, we have recurring internships with cities and the National League of Cities, millions of dollars of urban research have been catalyzed, the Menino Survey of Mayors is widely known, and BU boasts a large, connected community of urban scholars and researchers.
“Graham has been a terrific champion for the Initiative and urbanists across BU, and a wonderful partner and ally to me,” Lusk adds, citing the discussion after Menino’s death, so soon after he came to BU, about whether the IoC should continue. “Thanks to Graham’s leadership, and the support of President Robert A. Brown and Provost Jean Morrison, we did.”
The timing of his retirement reflects a convergence of influences, Wilson says, among them the retirement of his wife, Virginia Sapiro, Arts & Sciences dean emerita and a CAS professor of political science. The two are looking forward to having time to travel, including visits to his native UK, Wilson says. He’s also working on his 11th book, The Competitive City, “about how cities compete with each other for business investment and people.”
“There are a limited number of tenured professorships at top universities,” he says. “I’ve been privileged to have had a tenured or tenure track position since 1973, when I started my career in the UK. It’s time to let a young person have a crack at the position. In my experience it is the young people who have the really new and fresh ideas.”
Retirement dovetails as well with the IoC’s needs, Wilson says. “No unit should have the same leadership forever, and even if I wasn’t retiring, I think it is time for a new director who will have a different perspective and ideas.”
“I think we are at a moment when many—of course, not all—executives of major corporations are realizing that their companies need to accept responsibility to contribute to solving our problems,” from racial equity to assaults on democracy like the January 6 insurrection, Wilson says. “Many corporate PACs have paused contributing to the Republicans who tried to overturn the result of the presidential election. We’ve seen, partly out of self-interest, automobile manufacturers accept and defend higher emission standards. This is getting beyond the simplistic cut taxes, abolish regulation instinct.”
A national search is underway for a successor to Wilson at the IoC. Prior to arriving at BU, he taught at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the UK’s University of Essex. He earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Oxford.
“I taught many hundreds of students at BU,” he reflects. “However, it is in the smaller courses and the directed study courses that I have taught that one really gets to know the students. BU gets wonderful undergraduates, bright, intelligent, highly motivated, and caring. I’ve been impressed by how many of the academically strongest students I have taught here have also been making a major contribution to the community in the city as well as on campus.”
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Computation Urban Designer At Gensler
Computation Urban Designer at Gensler Your Role
What You Will Do
Successful candidates will be focused on master planning projects in the UK and Internationally, while also gaining exposure to a wide range of design experiences within our full portfolio of integrated disciplines: architecture, interiors, graphic/industrial design and consulting.
Lead the strategy and implementation for
computational/generative
design technology solutions applied to Cities & Urban Design Practice Area projects throughout the region as well as, collaborate FW
Integrate computational thinking as part of design story-telling for our Cities and Urban design teams
Partner with regional leadership to develop the regional strategy for Cities & Urban Design Practice Area computational design
Author / Develop custom
computational/generative
design solutions for project teams during any required phase of the Cities & Urban Design process.
Elevate our computation thinking across the Cities & Urban Design Practice Area to promote its application as a design informing mechanism not just for components iterations, but also operational / maintenance elements
Collaborate with design teams, clients, consultants, community stakeholders and other parties to meet overall project objectives
Prepare graphic/narrative reports and presentations that communicate the design process, research, and concepts
Manage presentations and production of planning and urban design projects
Assist in managing client expectations, team communication and consultant coordination
Enhance and optimize designs using rapid and iterative simulation techniques
Act as a team member in coordinating and reviewing of work product
Contribute to office activities, initiative and learning programs
Interact through projects and other office wide initiatives with other studios and practice areas
Your Qualifications
Expert in computational and parametric design platforms: Dynamo, Grasshopper, CityEngine
Knowledge in Visual and Object Oriented Programming, such as: Python, chúng tôi Java, C#, C++.
Proficiency in design tools, such as: Revit, Rhino, Sketchup, 3ds Max
Degree in Urban Design or Planning is essential, Master’s qualification preferred
Relevant experience as an Urban Designer with proven background in creative collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams, from concept through later stages
Knowledge and passion for working on a variety of urban design & masterplanning projects across multiple sectors
Experience in parametric design application to master planning projects is essential
This job description reflects the core activities of the role although there will be changes in the emphasis of duties as required from time to time.
Please apply for this Urban Designer role and submit your CV and brief portfolio for review. Candidates who do not meet the criteria or provide work samples will not be considered.
Life at GenslerWe encourage every person at Gensler to lead a healthy and balanced life. Our comprehensive benefits include medical and dental insurance, season ticket loans, pension, profit sharing and twice annual bonus opportunities.
As part of the firm’s commitment to professional development, Gensler offers reimbursement for certain professional qualifications and associated renewals and exam
fees. In addition, we reimburse tuition for certain eligible programmes or classes. We view our professional development programs as strategic investments in our future.
Gensler is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all sections of the community. If you would like to be considered for employment opportunities with Gensler and need special assistance due to a disability, or accommodation for a disability, please provide details in your application.
These Apps Will Connect You With Like
Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely existence. With long hours and hectic schedules, it can be incredibly difficult to find time to spend with loved ones. What’s even worse is that finding and making friends becomes downright impossible without apps. Fortunately, there’s a wide range of social apps that are designed to help you disconnect from work and meet people with similar interests.
With so much of our lives spent working, it’s easy to forget to interact with others — whether it be through social events, hobbies, or other activities that truly enrich our lives. Here are some popular apps that’ll get you off the internet and out socializing:
Meetup connects people who share the same interests. It shows upcoming events and activities in your area, so you can meet with others who are interested in the same event.
It’s not only a fun way to meet new people, but it provides you with instant conversation material to build up social skills and relationships in a much more comfortable way. Meetup also encourages business networking by allowing you to create and promote professional networking events.
When you’re working and traveling, it can be hard to find the time to schedule social events. Time to Enjoy prevents you from missing out on some great social experiences by comparing your work schedule and calendar with events that are coming up.
This way, you won’t miss out on events that will get you out of the house (or the hotel), and you can meet new people or old friends despite my hectic work schedule.
GoTribe is both an online and offline community designed to make fitness and wellness a social event and a fun lifestyle. Now in use in over nine countries and 12 states, the app connects you with “workout buddies” so you can provide each other with encouragement and come together in person to get in shape.
You can use this to help balance work with your physical health and find other like-minded individuals to go exercise with when you’re on a business trip.
This app is great for foodies. With Supper Club, you can set up a group outing to a new restaurant or host a social dinner party at a nearby eatery.
The app also hosts its own events that you can attend in various cities around the country. You can use it to organize dinners for my employees, special occasions, and even client meetings.
Golden connects you with volunteer opportunities and other people who enjoy volunteering. You can even choose to invite friends to volunteer for an upcoming event.
This makes it easy to get out there and do something good for your community while allowing you to meet new people who share the same passion for social consciousness. You can even encourage others in your company to volunteer, so you’ll use this app as a way to set up those events.
City Socializer is another great way to locate people who share the same interests as you. The app provides an extensive list of social groups and organizations that you can join in your city and information on upcoming events by interest.
On business trips, you can have a great time finding other people who love doing what you do. It’s a great way to fill in some free time rather than sitting in your hotel room.
How To Shazam And Find Song Playing On & Around Snapchat
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Snapchat has a ton of innovative features such as lenses, filters, bitmojis, games, etc. that make the app fun to use. I recently discovered you can Shazam on Snapchat to identify both songs playing around you and inside Snapchat too. Snapchat has integrated Shazam. However, there’s no easy way to identify songs playing in the background of others’ Snapchat stories or in other words, in-app. After some tinkering around, I found a way to both discover songs playing on Snapchat and around you. Let’s begin.
1. How to Shazam a Song on SnapchatSnapchat has a native arrangement with Shazam to discover songs within the app. It is meant to quickly discover songs playing in the background when you’re out and about having fun at a party or club. You can identify the song and put the sticker in your story to let people know of the song being played in your Story.
To identify the song in Snapchat, simply open the Shazam app, press and hold the empty screen to activate Shazam.
Shazam will take a few seconds to fetch the song and show up as a card that you can put on your Snapchat Stories. This method works on both Android and iOS versions of the Snapchat app.
2. How to Find a Song Playing on Snapchat Using Shazam on SnapchatDiscovering songs playing in your surroundings is easy. But, how to find a song playing inside a Snapchat Story in your friend’s profile? Well, there are ways to get around that but Android and iPhone have separate methods for the same.
Use Shazam in Snapchat to Find Songs On iPhoneThanks to Apple’s Shazam acquisition, the music recognition is now baked in the iOS itself. iOS 14 offers a native way to identify songs using Shazam. The feature works amazingly well and regardless of the app you’re playing music on.
First, you’d need to enable Shazam from the Control Center in the Settings app. Open Settings and scroll down to Control Center. Enable Shazam from the list of options by tapping the plus button next to “Music Recognition”.
Now simply open the Story in Snapchat that has the song you wish to identify using Shazam. Open the Control Center on your iPhone and tap the Shazam button. It would listen to the audio in the Snapchat story and present the results in the notification shade.
You can then simply tap the notification to open the song in Apple Music or Spotify.
Use Shazam in Snapchat to Find Songs On AndroidThe method to identify songs on Android isn’t as convenient as it is on the iPhone. However, Shazam can still identify songs from any app. You need to install the Shazam app on your Android smartphone to make it work.
After installing Shazam, you’d find the option “Shazam from Pop-Up” on the home page. If you don’t see it there, you can go ahead and find it in Settings.
It would prompt you to allow permissions to draw over apps. This permission would allow Shazam to create a small button that sits on top of every app and you can shazam any song just by tapping the button. Enable Shazam from Pop-Up in the Settings.
After that, you’d see a Shazam button floating on the screen. You can press this button to activate the mic and identify a song.
Simply open a Snapchat story that has the music you wish to identify and tap the Shazam button to start the process. You’d get an instant result as a chat bubble and add it to your playlist through the Shazam app.
How Do You Shazam on SnapchatThese are all the ways to find and identify songs on Snapchat. The inbuilt method is decent and works most of the time on both Android and iOS. However, the music recognition process to find songs from other apps is a bit finicky on Android. Shazam on Android uses the actual mic to pick up the audio from the speaker which results in poor recognition. This is not the case with iPhone as iOS listens to the audio spit out by an app via software and gives more accurate results. What do you think? Do you use Shazam to find music in Snapchat stories too? Come and start a conversation with me on Twitter.
Also Read: 7 Best iOS 14 Siri Shortcuts to Supercharge Your iPhone
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