Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company will launch self-driving taxis in Austin in June and other U.S. cities by the end of the year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked carmaker Tesla to provide details on its driverless vehicle tech, which the company plans to deploy as a robotaxi operation in Austin, Texas next month.
As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, Tesla uses cameras and artificial intelligence in its self-driving technology, unlike other companies that also equip their vehicles with lidar and radar. “NHTSA requested information on how Tesla plans to ensure the safety of its vehicles when encountering sun glare, fog, airborne dust, rain, or snow; how its vehicles will respond to collisions and interact with first responders; and how its driving automation system is monitored by in-vehicle or remote personnel.”
The agency also requested details on the locations and times of deployment and how the robotaxis will differ from the company’s current “Full Self-Driving” features, which Tesla’s website notes “require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
FULL STORY: Federal safety agency asks Tesla for details of its planned robotaxis

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)