Brad Templeton, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, hopes that robot-driven cars will become commonplace on our roads in the next decade or two.
Templeton classifies these cars of the future into two types: "Whistle Cars – Self-driving cars that can ferry themselves to drivers in need of a car at low, safe speeds. Smaller cars will be more viable, as customers will be able to order up a car that fits their needs for that day, rather than bigger vehicles that may be needed across its entire lifecycle. After a whistlecar putters autonomously to its destination, the person renting the car takes over and drives it at standard highway speeds. Robocars – Completely autonomous cars that take no user interaction to reach their destination. These must be extremely safe before public perception will shift to allow them on the road."
FULL STORY: Whistlecars and Robocars

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

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

More Apartments Are Being Built in Less-Dense Areas
Rising housing costs in urban cores and a demand for rental housing is driving more multifamily development to exurbs and small metros.

Plastic Bag Bans Actually Worked
U.S. coastal areas with plastic bag bans or fees saw significant reductions in plastic bag pollution — but plastic waste as a whole is growing.

Improving Indoor Air Quality, One Block at a Time
A movement to switch to electric appliances at the neighborhood scale is taking off in California.
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
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)