Touchless parking garages, more common in Europe, will be opening soon in New York.
Instead of driving cars to spots, an automated system first designed for warehouse storage lifts cars into designated places. AutoMotion Parking Systems controls 74 spots located below 24 condominiums in Manhattan. Fifty spaces will be open to the public later this spring. "Not only are developers looking at automated garages, city planners and architects are discussing new ideas to manage automobiles, even when stationary. Urban theorists and policy makers are increasingly looking at the effects of parking on traffic, development, pollution and energy efficiency."
"You get your car in under three minutes," Ari Milstein of AutoMotion claims. "It's as easy as an A.T.M. or E-ZPass." Beyond speed and convenience, the dirver may have peace of mind that the car remains untouched and unopened, and valuables are safe inside.
FULL STORY: Parking as a Destination

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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