City officials hope that electrifying motorcycles, a ‘lifeblood’ of Vietnamese transportation, will have a positive impact on air quality and noise in the city’s downtown.
Hanoi, Vietnam will ban gas-powered motorcycles — and later cars — in its downtown, reports Micah Toll in Electrek. “The plan will go into effect on July 1, 2026, and then will expand the following year to cover more districts outside of downtown, and eventually include gasoline-powered cars as well.”
Vietnam has a national goal of phasing out gas-powered two-wheelers by 2045. “And in a country where motorcycles are the lifeblood of daily transportation, with an estimated 72 million of them on the road, this marks a seismic shift.” The change could have a major impact on air quality, noise, and congestion in the city’s densest neighborhoods.
If Hanoi’s ban is successful, other cities like Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s largest urban area, are likely to follow suit.
Read the full story: Vietnam setting bans on gasoline motorcycles next year, followed by cars
Virginia Ties Clean Car Standards to California
The last obstacle to a 2021 bill linking Virginia’s emissions standards to California policy was defeated on a party-line vote in the state’s legislature, paving the way for a shift to electric vehicles.
US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.
Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority