Eschewing glamor, Drive.ai's self-driving vehicles use bright coloring, insignia, and LED messages to facilitate better interactions with humans on the road.

Like student drivers operating vehicles advertising that fact, autonomous cars are still learning the fine art of urban navigation. The company Drive.ai recognizes that in its design choices for a ride-hailing pilot currently ongoing in Frisco, Texas.
"The vehicles, modified Nissan NV200s, are certainly the loudest, brightest, and unabashedly dorkiest self-driving cars on the road today," writes Andrew J. Hawkins. Far from sleek, they're designed to alert other road users in no uncertain terms that they're sharing space with a self-driver.
LED screens on the vehicle's exterior provide information on the vehicle's status. Hawkins writes, "when the cars are on ride-hailing trips or on their way to a pickup, the screens will display messages that convey the vehicle's intent to pedestrians and other vehicles on the road. [...] It's intended to replace the gestures or verbal communication often used by human drivers to communicate their intentions." The hope is to "rebuild trust" in autonomous cars after recent incidents.
FULL STORY: The self-driving cars hitting the road in Texas today are unlike any we’ve seen before

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.

New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.

Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service