According to an analysis of U.S. National Travel Surveys, the Millennial preference for non-automotive travel is mostly hype. Millennials show behavior similar to other age groups and respond to the economy.

Evelyn Blumenberg and Brian D. Taylor have heard the dominant narrative about the travel preferences of Millennials:
Among the many traits thought to make millennials unique is their travel. They drive less, ride public transit and bicycles more, and have a stronger desire to live in walkable urban communities. Or so the story goes.
But what if that story is wrong? Blumenberg and Taylor wondered the same thing and dug into the data for answers, examining data from the U.S. National Travel Surveys for 1990, 2001, and 2009, regarding "range of information on travel over time, detailed personal and household characteristics, and spatial information…" Their findings do indeed tell a different story:
In a nutshell, we found little evidence of a substantial cultural turn by millennials away from cars and suburbs. We found some evidence of generation-specific declines in driving among millennials, but the effects were modest. So what did have the biggest effect on millennial travel? The economy. Most of the drop in driving was likely due to the effects of the Great Recession.
To further elucidate the truth about Millennial mobility choices, the duo set out to answer eight questions, detailed further in the source article.
For more recent news on generational travel trends, see also a Planetizen post sharing the news about increasing vehicle miles traveled among young, low-income Americans.
FULL STORY: Millennial Travel: Who Knows About Kids These Days?

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie