Alphabet will likely pursue other ways to deliver high-speed fiber-optic internet service.
Alphabet is halting plans to expand its fiber-optic internet network, Google Fiber, which not long ago had cities competing to attract service. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, had been in talks to install infrastructure in several cities including Dallas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
The CEO of Access, the division that oversees Google Fiber, will step down, and will also see an undetermined reduction in staff.
The New York Times reports that Alphabet may be "shifting to new technologies and methods of deploying high-speed internet":
After years of costly investments to dig up roads and lay fiber optic cable, Google started considering alternatives, including wireless and fiber partnerships, that did not necessarily require the company to build a full network.
The service won’t shut down in the eight metropolitan areas where it exists—like Atlanta, Nashville, and Salt Lake City—or where construction is underway.
FULL STORY: Google Curbs Expansion of Fiber Optic Network, Cutting Jobs
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.