Recode reveals a radical idea for how Amazon could consolidate delivery services in urban areas.
"Amazon has applied for a patent for tailoring its fulfillment centers for a future where drones are delivering items to people’s doorsteps in urban areas," reports April Glaser.
"The e-commerce giant imagines beehive-like towers filled with robots, where drones can dock and be restocked before flying out again for another delivery," adds Glaser.
An important goal described in the patent application is the ability to locate fulfillment centers in urban areas, instead of on the outskirts of metropolitan areas where such facilities are currently located.
Glaser also notes that filing a patent application does not mean this vision of the future is a sure thing, "but it does pull the curtain back to show how the online retailer is thinking about the integration of drones into its shipping process."
Read the full story: Amazon’s idea for a massive drone dock looks like a cross between a beehive and a spaceship
Amazon Plans for More Massive Warehouses
The company is building its biggest-ever distribution centers in New York, Colorado, and California.
Amazon’s Growing Real Estate Empire
The e-commerce giant has been quietly buying up massive swaths of property as the company works to reduce shipping times as dramatically as possible.
Communities Near Warehouses Unprotected by Outdated Zoning Codes
Today’s massive modern distribution centers have outsized impacts on adjacent neighborhoods. But outdated zoning codes often let them slip through the cracks with no environmental review.
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.
LAX SkyLink opening delayed again, contractor won’t commit to new deadline
The project was supposed to open its doors to the public in 2023.
Caltrain may slash over one-third of its stations
If Bay Area voters reject two transit tax measures, Caltrain, BART and AC Transit will see steep service cuts.
A 'dangerous' precedent: North Carolina successfully pressures communities into voting for toll roads
Two mayors resigned from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization after it voted in favor of the toll roads.
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