While Cruise is pausing all of its autonomous services in a bid to “regain public trust,” Waymo, via Uber, will begin offering autonomous rides in Phoenix.

Autonomous car company Cruise is suspending all of it driverless operations in the wake of a federal investigation and the loss of their permits in California, reports Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive. “Cruise said it would continue to offer supervised AV rides — those with a human driver on board.”
Meanwhile, Uber announced it is now offering fully autonomous rides through Waymo in Phoenix, Arizona. Waymo is operating in San Francisco as well. “According to reports by each company to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Cruise autonomous vehicles have been involved in 39 collisions this year, and as of Oct. 6, Waymo reported 46 autonomous vehicle collisions in the same period.”
In a statement, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) supported California’s decision to suspend Cruise licenses, stating, “This latest incident underscores the need for clear national standards for testing this still-nascent technology.” According to NACTO, “The federal government, in partnership with cities and states, must craft AV policy that is forward-thinking, holistic, and focused on safety, equity and sustainability. By creating strong safety standards, the federal government can lay the foundation for a safe, people-focused transportation system in which autonomous vehicles exist alongside transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure.”
FULL STORY: Cruise halts driverless robotaxis in 3 more cities as safety concerns mount

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