With over 162,000 full- or part-time "driver partners" nationwide, Uber is an employment giant. The company's 20,000 Bay Area workers place it among the top five regional employers.

In the Bay Area, Uber has surpassed all except Kaiser, U.C. Berkeley, UCSF, and San Francisco itself in the number of people it employs.
Of course, definitions of employment vary: "Uber would be the first to say that those drivers are definitely not employees. Uber's 'driver partners' work as independent contractors. That means they don't receive such benefits as health insurance, overtime, paid vacation, workers' comp or disability, but they do have the freedom to set their own hours."
Employees or not, the company has begun to address the need for better communication between drivers and headquarters. From the article: "Uber said it will open walk-in 'partner support centers' throughout Northern California. It now has a center in San Francisco on Vermont Street and will add such locations as Daly City, where almost a quarter of local Uber drivers live."
"However, the company has been dogged by controversies including how it vets and trains its drivers. Drivers organized protests when Uber reduced fares and increased its cut. Taxi companies and lawmakers often complain that it flouts regulations." Taxi owners are concerned that Uber devalues the city-issued medallions giving them the right to operate a cab.
FULL STORY: Uber among region’s biggest employers, but company begs to differ

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.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions