A study that asked regular drivers in Boston and San Francisco to go car-free found that access to real-time mobile information was key to raising the status of public transit for study participants.
Participants in the car-free study (conducted by Latitude Research and Next American City) cited mobile apps as a factor that made the experience more "convenient, personalized, and enjoyable."
Participants also made suggestions for mobile apps they would like to see in the future (From Next American City):
"Participants suggested apps that would help plan their routes easily and efficiently, but would also track progress toward their goals in terms of fitness achievements and positive environmental impact. Relatedly, there may be a role for apps with game elements that tap into people's deeper, intrinsic motivations like doing good for society (e.g., a points system to track small sustainable choices tied to an online local leader board with the highest-scoring citizens)."
Read the full story: http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2956/
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Atlanta City Council unanimously backs $3.5 billion Beltline light rail project
The resolution was drafted after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pulled support for the Atlanta Streetcar extension last year.
SEPTA to bring nearby frequent transit to over 1 million new riders as part of decade-long plan
The agency's Accelerate plan will also bring frequent transit to twice the amount of jobs that are currently located near it.
NYC plants over 18,000 trees, the most new foliage in a decade
Many of the trees were planted in communities vulnerable to extreme heat.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello