Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs announced the launch of Sidewalk Talk — a blog and forum for urbanists and technologists to converse and collaborate.
Sidewalk Talk will take up a broad range of issues pertaining to the role of technology in cities: "mobility, buildings, infrastructure, open data, social services, and most critically, civil liberties."
The blog will feature expert Q&As, research, and maps and data visualizations, as well as updates about Sidewalk Labs' own projects. A podcast is also planned.
In a post on Medium, Sidewalk Labs CEO Daniel L. Doctoroff writes that the "smart city" movement has found its main obstacle in the poor communication between urbanists and technologists, who often don't understand each other's needs and abilities. Disputes between cities and companies like Uber or Airbnb are just one example.
"The world is poised for a fourth urban-tech revolution," Doctoroff writes, but "it takes talk."
FULL STORY: It’s time for urbanists and technologists to start talking

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

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

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

Seattle Builds Subway-Sized Tunnel — for Stormwater
The $700 million ‘stormwater subway’ is designed to handle overflows during storms, which contain toxic runoff from roadways and vehicles.

Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest
The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.

Is This Urbanism?
Chuck Wolfe ponders a recommended subscription list of Substack urbanists and wonders — as have others — about the utility of the "urbanist" moniker.
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
Tyler Technologies
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