Futurism

A futuristic reimagining of a D.C. street with green pathways and open waterways instead of car-filled streets.

Friday Eye Candy: AI Envisions Solutions to the Challenges Facing Cities

Phoenix reimagined for shade. Los Angeles as a place where everybody walks. San Francisco with affordable housing. AI makes a vision of the future possible.

July 7, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

A rendering of a futuristic city in the desert.

A $400 Billion City in the U.S. Desert

The latest futuristic city concept attracting attention on the internet is known as Telosa.

January 10, 2023 - Tomorrow’s Build via YouTube

Still image of EPCOT city concept from Disney's 1966 promotional film

EPCOT: The Original 'Smart City'

What can today’s futurists learn from Disney’s unrealized utopia?

October 7, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Image of 1958 advertisement showing a flying car

Jarrett Walker on Flying Cars

Walker contemplates the implications of the science fiction staple that continues to fascinate and engage writers and technologists.

July 12, 2021 - Human Transit

A sunny day in San Francisco, with a view of the city skyline with the Easy Bay Hills in the background.

The Imagined Bay Area of 2070: Affordable, Equitable, Prosperous

An opinion published recently by the San Francisco Chronicle offers a provocative thought exercise: How did the Bay Area of 2070 achieve affordability, equity, sustainability and adaptation in the face of climate change, and new levels of prosperity?

June 29, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Self-driving minibus

Still No Flying Cars: The Underwhelming Progress of Autonomous Vehicles

While we're still far from a Jetsons-style reality, understated autonomous features could be the key to safer transportation.

February 23, 2021 - City Monitor

Toyota Future City

Toyota Wants to Build the City of the Future in Japan

Toyota plans to break ground on the "Woven City" future city prototype in 2021.

January 8, 2020 - Toyota

Flying Cars

A Transit Consultant's Take on Flying Cars

A journalist asked, so Jarrett Walker answered.

October 19, 2019 - Human Transit

Urban Careers

How the City Planners of Tomorrow Will Differ From City Planners Today

The world is changing, and city planners are changing along with it.

January 28, 2019 - Kayla Matthews

Planning Students

Upcoming Conference to Imagine Planning in 2052

The 'degrowth' concept at the heart of Planning 2052 recalls the Club of Rome’s publication of "The Limits to Growth" in 1972.

December 3, 2018 - ArchDaily

Small Town Pedestrian

Sidewalks and Footpaths 'Functionally Obsolete' in the Near Transportation Future

With so much attention devoted to how technology will change roadways and vehicles, less speculation has attended to the ways technology will change walking.

July 14, 2018 - Foreground

Self-Driving Cars

Self-Driving Skepticism

Autonomous vehicles have many evangelists, but perhaps they need more skeptics.

July 9, 2018 - The Spectator

Are You Ready for a Sky Full of Autonomous Flying Taxis?

Some lucky people could be flying over traffic in autonomous drones within two years, according to a media blitz this morning.

May 8, 2018 - CBS This Morning

Kids Draw Cars of the Future

Friday Eye Candy: The Cars of the Future, Envisioned by Children

Ten children, ages six through 12, were asked to draw the cars of the future, and then a professional illustrator touched up their ideas.

January 5, 2018 - Quartz

Christmas Tree

All I Want for Christmas Is a New Transportation Planning Process

I put my Christmas wish in a little early this year—wanted to give Santa time to deliver, and it's not an easy wish to grant. No data, no graphs, no citations, just some thoughts to share.

November 30, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Self-Driving Cars

Autonomous Vehicles and Urban Contexts: It's Time to Engage All Stakeholders

At the 2017 Autonomous Vehicle Symposium, a group of experts were asked to predict the effects of autonomous vehicles in two case study communities, and to generate a list of proposed policy actions to prepare for a future of autonomous vehicles.

October 16, 2017 - Nico Larco

Tucson, Arizona

College Campuses Prepare for a Future Without Parking

Some college campuses need more parking than others, depending on commuting rates and walkable housing supply. Some campus planners are hoping, however, that soon all universities will need a lot less parking.

September 12, 2017 - The New York Times

Hyperloop

Reality Checking Elon Musk's Hyperloop Nothing Burger—Again

Elon Musk's desire to tunnel a path to freedom from congestion refuses to die.

July 24, 2017 - Wired

Suburban Three-Car Garage

Autonomous Vehicles: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out?

The implications of autonomous vehicles for social interactions are potentially vast.

July 6, 2017 - William Riggs

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.