A student idea brought to life, bring.BUDDY is a smartphone app that connects packages that need to be delivered with people who are already headed in that direction. The volunteer deliverers earn points for transit and other goodies.
The idea was to find ways to reduce the carbon emissions caused by delivery trucks in cities. By utilizing people who are already going through a location, that's one less trip.
Bill Barol at Forbes is a little skeptical:
"It's a neat concept, with a few caveats. It seems a little grand to identify it as 'crowdsourcing,' as the trends consultancy PSFK does; it could just as easily be called 'getting kids on the bus to do your job for you.' Also, I'm not sure anything could be as much fun as the people in this promo video seem to be having..."
FULL STORY: bring.BUDDY: DHL crowdsources your grandma

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont