Technology

Concrete dam of almost dried, low water level Stevens Creek reservoir in San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Desalination and Water Recycling Needed to Increase Bay Area Water Supply

In an ongoing drought exacerbated by climate change, the Bay Area needs to look toward two technologies to secure adequate drinking water supply: desalination and wastewater recycling, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Examiner.

June 9, 2022 - San Francisco Examiner

A mobile phone with a crying emoji face and the word "doomscrolling" is on a table between a tissue and a glass of wine.

Twitter for Planners in 2022

Twitter is changing, not in the way Elon Musk wants it to, but it’s still perhaps the most useful social media platform for planners looking for education and engagement.

June 9, 2022 - James Brasuell

A woman on an electric bike and two women on electric scooters wait at an intersection for the light to change.

The Electric Scooter Rebound

The nascent electric scooter rental industry came close to total collapse during the pandemic, but riders are back in bigger numbers than ever and the companies hope to build momentum on growing concerns about the climate impacts of transportation.

May 29, 2022 - Bloomberg

Man with visual impairment boarding public bus

New App Helps People With Visual Impairments Navigate Transit

The Waymap app offers precise instructions to give blind pedestrians more options for safe travel.

May 25, 2022 - Reuters

San Salvador, El Salvador - September 15th, 2021: Protesters walk in the streets of the city against the bitcoin policies of current president Nayib Bukele.

El Salvador President Envisions Retro-Futurist ‘Bitcoin City’

In the same week that the cryptocurrency’s value took a nosedive, the president of El Salvador unveiled a model for a volcano-powered ‘smart city.’

May 18, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

portrait of woman walking on the city street covering her ears

California Bill Proposes Automated Noise Pollution Enforcement

If signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, a new bill would use automated sensors and cameras to enforce decibel limits on cars and motorcycles.

May 12, 2022 - AutoWeek

Economic Impacts of Climate Change

RAISE Proposals Are in; What Will it Mean for Climate Change?

The deadline for the first discretionary program to accept applications since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law was April 14, marking the day as one of the most consequential in America’s response to climate change.

May 5, 2022 - Robert Fischer

Lime Scooter

San Diego To Consider Tightening Regulations on E-Scooters

Proposed regulations would limit the popular micromobility devices to two operators, impose new fees, and require more accountability for safe scooter use and parking.

May 4, 2022 - NBC San Diego

Gaslamp Quarter

Day Two of the National Planning Conference: Staying on the Cutting Edge

The American Planning Association gathers for its first in-person National Planning Conference since 2019. Planetizen is in attendance. Here is some of what we saw on the second day of the conference.

May 2, 2022 - James Brasuell

A row of Electric Scooter for sharing from Lime in Seattle with the Amazon Spheres in the background.

One Year of E-Scooters in Seattle

The city’s shared e-scooter program has proved popular, seeing more than eight times as many rides as its bike share system.

April 25, 2022 - The Seattle Times

Rendering of A.I. road monitoring camera

How A.I. Can Promote Vision Zero

Forget self-driving cars—some low-cost artificial intelligence tools can improve traffic safety now.

April 21, 2022 - The New York Times

Congestion versus mobility

How Planning Fails to Solve Congestion

Solutions for congestion are never as simple and easy as armchair planners and engineers would like you to believe—especially those who suggest that congestion can be solved by forever building more roadway capacity.

April 20, 2022 - James Brasuell

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

On-Demand Transit Grows in Georgia

From small rural towns to metro Atlanta, Georgia communities are experimenting with on-demand transit to improve connections to existing transit and offer transportation to isolated communities.

April 20, 2022 - Saporta Report

Rendering of autonomous vehicle with woman reading at the wheel

States Have the Power To Regulate Autonomous Vehicles—But Most Don’t

States tend to default to national standards for regulating AVs, but federal officials have been slow to implement rules directed specifically at autonomous vehicles.

April 20, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

"Municipal speed camera in use" sign

Don't Wokewash the Status Quo

There might be good reasons to oppose speed cameras and red light cameras—but racial justice is not one of them.

April 19, 2022 - Michael Lewyn

Electric car being charged at a station

California Issues Electrification Plan

To comply with the federal goal of eliminating new gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035, California plans to increase zero-emissions vehicle sales to 35 percent by 2026.

April 18, 2022 - The New York Times

Congestion

Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion

What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

April 13, 2022 - James Brasuell

Floating offshore wind turbines

Proposed Offshore Wind Project Could Be the West Coast’s Largest

If approved, the plan to build a 2,000-megawatt facility off the coast of Washington State would be a milestone for floating offshore wind production in the United States.

April 12, 2022 - Energy Wire

Rural bus stop

How Rural Transit Systems Are Doing More With Less

With limited resources and dispersed service areas, rural transit systems are turning to technology to provide on-demand service and improve transit options for residents.

April 8, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Broadband cable spool in rural area

Making Broadband Investments Count

As connectivity becomes increasingly important to everyday life, policymakers at all levels can take action to streamline broadband infrastructure projects and improve internet access for all communities.

April 7, 2022 - Fortune

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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.