Top 10 Apps Every Planner Must Have

[Hink]

As technology begins to take over our daily life (I dare you to go camping without electronics...) we have started to streamline our profession as well. What are some great Apps that planners, code enforcement officers, economic development specialists, geographers, and everyone in between in our profession could use?

Google Maps / Earth is an ease one, but there must be more interesting ones... let the list begin:

1. Trulia - http://www.trulia.com/mobile/iphone/ - A real estate app for all platforms that uses your phone's GPS to look at properties for sale.
2. Foursquare - https://foursquare.com/apps/ - Create check in locations, have scavenger hunts, and entice people to check out your community.
3. Zillow
4. ArcGIS
5. Angry Birds
6. DesignObserver
7. PlanningVic
8. AuthorityMasterPlan08
9. Monster.com App -To find jobs
10. Spendings - For private planner keeping track of all costs
11. Dropbox - A place to keep all your files, photos, etc.
12. Keynote - A presentation app that helps create your vision and bring it with you
13. Google Earth
14. Florida DBPR - Allows users to search the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s records for businesses and professionals licensed by the department. - https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result
15. Windspire - Ever wondered how fast the wind is blowing? Download the Windspire Me! app for the iPhone and find out. The app will find the wind speed and let you know what that average wind speed could power with a Windspire. http://windspireenergy.com/windspire/permitting/
16. Emergency Radio (Police Scanner) - Emergency Radio is the original award-winning police scanner app offering the most extensive database of live police, fire, EMS, railroad, air traffic, train, NOAA weather, coast guard, HAM radio, and other frequencies - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/emerg...312949947?mt=8
17. Parking Apps - Park PGH (Pittsburgh), SFpark (San Francisco), Parking Auction (NYC), Smart Parking (Boston), Parker (LA) - Help people park in various cities across the U.S.
18. Transportation Apps - Railbandit Rail, One Bus Away, Stopandgo, Wayfinder NYC, AnyStop,
19. Citizens Connect - City of Boston app - allows users to "use your mobile phone in five different ways to alert the City of Boston to neighborhood issues such as potholes and graffiti."
20. Energov - Code Enforcement

[WSU MUP Student]

The Zillow app works as good as the Trulia app and I think it has a slightly better interface.
There is an ESRI ArcGIS app that is free. I'm sure it has more options that what I use it for, but being able to make rough estimates of the area of a parcel or square footage of building footprint or distances on the fly is a nice capability.
Let's not forget the Cyburbia app...

[ursus]

Planners have lots of pent-up agression and like to try futile stuff over and over and over ------ so does Angry Birds count as an app? I'm truly unsure. If it is an "app" I really think it ought to be included in the list!

I'm not currently using any apps for planning stuff, but this is making me think I ought to be checking things out. Great idea for a 10 list, Hink.

[Dan]

A few that I have ...

* DesignObserver
* PlanningVic - Australian app that shows every pending planning action in the state of Victoria. A neat example of what's possible.
* Singapore Urban Redevelopment AuthorityMasterPlan08 - very interactive, and a great example of bringing a comp plan to the masses.

[imaplanner]

There are a few decent clinometer apps that i have seen people using in the field.

[Hink]

Really people? In this age of technology we can't come up with anymore? I was thinking we were going to have 30....

[HomerJ]

I still have yet to see it but Energov provides (or soon will provide) an app that lets people take a picture of what they might think is a code violation issue and send it to the city department for their review.

[Maister]

Really people? In this age of technology we can't come up with anymore? I was thinking we were going to have 30....

I don't have an android, blackberry, cell phone or anything else to use an app on (I dunno can one use these things called "apps" on a desktop pc?)

[Suburb Repairman]

I still have yet to see it but Energov provides (or soon will provide) an app that lets people take a picture of what they might think is a code violation issue and send it to the city department for their review.

Austin is about to roll out an app like this to enforce handicap parking. My first thought when I saw it was that it would be a perfect way to enhance code enforcement.

As for apps I recommend (other than the obvious Cyburbia app)... On iPad, I really like Notes Plus. It was $5 and gave you the full operability of writing on a notepad, making quick sketches/diagrams, handwriting and typing. You can export the pages as PDFs to iTunes, email, etc. Very useful, IMHO, for day-to-day stuff. Same goes for clinometers for field stuff, and for that on iPhone I recommend "Climnometer - level and slope finder" or "Advanced Level and Inclinometer - TiltMeter"

[Hink]

Come on people.... there are over 5 million apps... we are looking for the top 10 for planners. Just throw out some ideas...

Monster.com App? -To find jobs
Spendings - For private planner keeping track of all costs
Dropbox - A place to keep all your files, photos, etc.
Keynote - A presentation app that helps create your vision and bring it with you


Come on I am sure there are more... deadline is Wednesday.

[Linda_D]

I don't have an android, blackberry, cell phone or anything else to use an app on (I dunno can one use these things called "apps" on a desktop pc?)

I have a cell phone, but I use it to make phone calls, especially when I'm walking my dog in the park or when I travel. I think I might be able to download apps to it, but why? It's a phone!

[beach_bum]

My camera (on my phone), for taking random pictures of stuff I want to remember for planning when I'm out. For example, just yesterday I was by my local Kohl's and they recently did a 'remodel' adding white elements to the front of the store. They also added white ground-mounted lights, white trash cans and a white bike rack. All and all it looked bad, so I wanted to take a picture to save and remind developers why white hardscaping elements won't work.

[JNA]

I don't have an android, blackberry, cell phone or anything else to use an app on (I dunno can one use these things called "apps" on a desktop pc?)

same here.

[TerraSapient]

I'll add a vote for Trulia. Priceless information instantly about any location.

[Hink]

Florida DBPR - Allows users to search the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s records for businesses and professionals licensed by the department. - https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result

[Huck]

AutoCAD WS (allows you to view and edit DWG files and store them in the cloud)
Smart Measure
Sound Meter
ConvertPad

[kms]

I've been using Soilweb when I look at wetland complaints.

[luckless pedestrian]

I will add:

LinkedIn - better than Google to figure someone out after you met them
Cardmunch - scans business cards
smartr contacts - combines your LinkedIn contacts and Facebook contacts phone and email and snail mail
shoeboxed - scans receipts - great for travel expenses

[Coragus]

Pandora and Live365 apps. They make my days in the office pass so much easier.

[ofos]

APA now has their own app. Update your CM hours from your phone. Anybody?

[Salmissra]

^^ Some of these are getting added today!

I also find a good Solitaire program works wonders when stuck somewhere. I have MobilityWare's Freecell, and a traditional Solitaire program both, and they are great.