Google

One of Google's power plants pumping pollution into the air.

To power data centers, Google seeks autonomous control of thousands of homes’ electricity

The tech company has signed a deal to indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained.

October 27, 2026 - New York Times

ChatGPT chat bot screen seen on smartphone and laptop display with Chat GPT login screen on the background.

When AI goes rogue: what planners need to know

This summer, four major AI labs disclosed that their agents had slipped out of test environments. For planners, the lessons are about access, oversight and the one sandbox we can’t afford to lose: public trust.

October 22, 2026 - Tom Sanchez

A yellow sign on the side of the road reads "NO DATA CENTER"

Data center developers are using lawsuits, cash offers to ‘overwhelm’ rural America

Newsrooms in five states worked together to uncover the tactics big tech developers use to buy land from reluctant communities.

October 10, 2026 - The Oregonian

People walk in front of an MIT building with marble pillars. There are trees in the foreground.

MIT to create AI-powered hub for public transportation companies

Google awarded the project, titled the Public Transit Intelligence Hub, $2.1 million in funding.

October 5, 2026 - Mass Transit

The Arkansas River surrounded by cedar trees.

Google will fund removal of 2000 acres of trees in Oklahoma to save water while building new data center

The company has invested $30 million into projects intended to address Oklahoma’s water shortage.

September 2, 2026 - KOCO

Rendering of vibrant public square in downtown San Jose, California.

Google Razed 80 Acres in Downtown San Jose. Then… Nothing Happened.

The project was expected to generate about $79 million annually in property taxes.

March 15, 2026 - The Mercury News

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

May 23, 2025 - Governing

Nuclear New York

Google Inks Nuclear Power Deal

Tech giants are seeking out renewable energy to fuel power-hungry data centers and AI applications.

October 22, 2024 - ESG Today

Large colorful letter G in front of Google campus building in Mountain View, California.

Google Seeks New Direction for Massive Housing Proposal

The company parted ways with its development partner, signaling a shift in strategy for a proposed 15,000-unit housing and office space project on Google-owned land in Silicon Valley.

November 9, 2023 - Fast Company

Glass office building with multicolored Google logo on Google headquarters campus in Mountain View, California

Google Shifts Real Estate Strategy to Adaptive Reuse

The company is moving away from flashy new campuses in favor of converting existing buildings with interesting histories.

August 11, 2023 - Fast Company

Palm Trees

Where Los Angeles Most Needs Trees

Google has unveiled a new tool called Tree Canopy Lab in an effort to keep cities like Los Angeles cool by helping them to know where to plant more trees.

November 24, 2020 - The Verge

New York City Tech Office

Big Tech Bets on the Big Apple

Amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, the four biggest U.S. technology companies have leased or bought enough office space in New York City for 22,000 employees.

October 15, 2020 - The New York Times

Google Corporate Headquarters

Google's Big Mixed-Use Plans for Downtown San Jose Come Into Focus

Google's plan for a mixed-use transit village at a mile-long site near the Diridon Station in San Jose has a newly released planning document available for public review.

October 13, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Cupertino, California

Google's Decade of Land Acquisition Cresting During the Pandemic

According to reports, Google parent company Alphabet is pulling back on two massive land acquisition deals amidst the economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. A development approval setback will also slow the company's expansion.

April 27, 2020 - San Jose Inside

San Antonio Riverwalk

Location Data Reveals Inequities of Coronavirus Response

More affluent people in the United States tended to stay at home sooner, and much more consistently, than low-income Americans according to location data tracked on mobile phones.

April 8, 2020 - The New York Times

Tech Shuttle

Tech Buses: Not Just for Techies, and Not Just for San Francisco

What began as Google buses, transporting highly paid engineers from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, has transformed into multi-company fleets serving white- and blue-collar workers in the 3,000-square-mile Northern California megaregion.

February 13, 2020 - Protocol

Google Headquarters

Google Continues to Expand in San Jose

Google has laid the foundation for four large, and distinct, employment centers in just one city of the South Bay Area.

December 6, 2019 - The Mercury News

Cupertino, California

Why Big Tech Billions Won't Dent California's Housing Crisis

New multibillion-dollar affordable housing commitments from leading tech firms may build out thousands of units, but that's nothing next to California's gargantuan housing shortage.

November 9, 2019 - The New York Times

Google Mobility

Google's Plan for the Future of its Campus Would Shift the Expectations for Corporate Campuses

Fast Company details the ambitions of a plan that would add thousands of homes, open space, and commercial development to the home of Google in the Silicon Valley.

September 25, 2019 - Fast Company

Google Transit Village

Google's San Jose Transit Village Plans Revealed

Google's plans for the Diridon Transit Village are much more clear.

September 11, 2019 - The Architect's Newspaper

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.