It's a big day for the future of automated vehicles. Federal safety regulators gave first indication, not yet regulations, of how they expect automated vehicles to behave when they hit the road en masse.

Cecilia King reports: "Federal auto safety regulators on Monday made it official: They are betting the nation’s highways will be safer with more cars driven by machines and not people."
King is reporting big news relevant to the "autonomous future," after the U.S Department of Transportation announced the first safety guidelines for self-driving cars. According to King, the guidelines included four areas:
The Department of Transportation announced a 15-point safety standard for the design and development of autonomous vehicles; called for states to come up with uniform policies applying to driverless cars; clarified how current regulations can be applied to driverless cars; and opened the door for new regulations on the technology.
The guidelines come as advancements in the development of the driverless technology are coning quick. Just last week, Uber began offering trial rides in driverless cars to loyal customers in Pittsburgh.
President Barack Obama has also chimed in on the potential regulation of the nascent technology, publishing an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In the editorial, President Obama argues that self-driving cars should make the nation's roads safer than they are now.
For additional commentary on the newly announced guidelines, Greg Gardner produced a list of ten observations and questions "after reading the highlights of the Federal Automated Vehicles policy overview, reviewing recent safety data and listening to multiple conference calls with regulators and industry officials…"
FULL STORY: Self-Driving Cars Gain Powerful Ally: The Government

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks
A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.

Minnesota Budget Includes Significant Transit Investments
After a contentious debate, the state legislature passed a budget that changes how transportation projects are funded and supports increased transit service in the state.

Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.