Anthony Foxx, former Secretary of Transportation under President Obama, has accepted a job at Lyft. In a post, he discusses why.
Before his time at the White House, Anthony Foxx also served as mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. In a Medium post, he touts that breadth of experience as a boon to his new employer, Lyft. As Chief Policy Officer and a top advisor to the company's leaders, Foxx will help the rideshare firm navigate regulatory challenges.
As Secretary of Transportation, Foxx was a firm advocate of technological solutions to transportation challenges, urging cities to adopt new methods through programs like the Smart City Challenge. He writes, "If we're not careful, sheer population growth and slow adaptation of technologies that might otherwise relieve congestion, create more connections and increase economic access will limit our potential as a nation."
Foxx also adds a personal touch, writing about how his grandparents, who raised him, persevered in a society where owning a car was the only way to get around. "We were lucky to have a car. I saw so many nearby families who did not. How much more discretionary money might my family have had if we never owned a car — if there had been a way to pay for the trips they needed instead of the car itself? Lyft is, at its core, a transportation company. It wants to offer solutions we did not see back in those days."
FULL STORY: Why I’m Joining Lyft
Uber and Lyft: A Tale of Two Companies
After years of resisting efforts by cities to regulate their business and constant—but unprofitable—growth, Uber and Lyft are homing in on their unique strengths.
California Judge Renders Gig Worker Law Unenforceable
A judge ruled against California's Proposition 22, which let ride-hailing and delivery businesses classify workers as independent contractors and discouraged unionization efforts.
New Study Underway: Do Ride-Hailing Services Reduce Car Ownership?
The University of California, Berkeley and NRDC will team-up to verify whether Uber and Lyft reduce car ownership and are thus good for the environment. Such data already exists for a sister form of shared mobility: car-share.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
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