Technology
A Brave New World: How Apps Are Changing Planning
Mobile applications (apps) are gaining in popularity as tools for increasing participation in local governance and planning, and are opening up new possibilities for planners to tap into the wisdom of the crowd.
Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem
In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.
Federal SMART Grants Awarded for Transportation Safety, Equity Projects
The grant program focuses on the use of technology to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency in transportation.
Buttigieg: Tesla ‘Autopilot’ Marketing ‘A Concern’
The USDOT secretary says marketing doesn’t fall under his department’s investigative authority, but expressed disapproval of language that implies autonomous operation.
Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.
Survey: Help Identify the Best Planning Apps of 2023
Planetizen needs your help updating the definitive list of mobile apps for professional, student, academic, or citizen planners.
North Carolina Drafts Clean Transportation Plan
Similar to other plans focused on reducing emissions from the transportation plan, North Carolina’s draft Clean Transportation Plan will rely on electric vehicles to reduce emissions from the state’s transportation sector.
Majority of American Drivers ‘Afraid’ of ‘Self-Driving’ Cars
Responses to a AAA survey indicate a rising fear of automated vehicles in the wake of high-profile crashes and federal investigations.
A Chatbot Talks Regeneration and Recovery for Seattle
In his recent analysis of trends to watch for 2023, Managing Editor James Brasuell noted how ChatGPT might replace all the writers of Planetizen, and more. Chuck Wolfe decided to take literally Brasuell's “don't let it sneak up on you” admonition.
Resilience Matters: Collective Action For Healthier Communities
The Island Press Urban Resilience Project (URP) has published a new, free "Resilience Matters" e-book that contains fascinating articles, op-eds, and interviews that provide practical guidance for collective action to build a fairer, greener future.
How Much Will That Infrastructure Really Cost?
A new tool developed in British Columbia calculates the cost of infrastructure over the entire life cycle of the project.
Planning Trends to Watch in 2023
The days and weeks since the arrival of Covid-19 have been filled with so much noise about the future, it’s been difficult to distinguish between big stories and frivolous distractions. Planetizen is here to help.
Recall Affects Over 360,000 Tesla Cars with ‘Full Self-Driving’ Software
Federal regulators are asking the carmaker to update the software on vehicles equipped with FSD due to its poor safety record.
Virginia Ties Clean Car Standards to California
The last obstacle to a 2021 bill linking Virginia’s emissions standards to California policy was defeated on a party-line vote in the state’s legislature, paving the way for a shift to electric vehicles.
How L.A. County is Ensuring Data-Informed, Equity-Driven Implementation of the American Rescue Plan
Los Angeles County has developed a series of tools to democratize data on communities most impacted by COVID-19 and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act programs and services developed to serve them.
The Importance of Good Data Visualization
When done right, data visualization effectively translates complex data into easily understood visuals in the form of graphs, charts, maps, plots, animations, and more.
San Francisco Officials Detail Self-Driving Car ‘Mayhem’ in Letter to State
In the worst version of the autonomous future, San Francisco firefighters have to fight off a self-driving car that crashed into their equipment during a fire, prompting calls for stricter regulations.
Lyft Shifting to Docked E-Scooters
After failing to deliver on promises of frictionless, free shared mobility, the operator will begin docking its scooters at stations to reduce sidewalk obstructions and eliminate the need to collect scooters for recharging.
How Autonomous Cars Could Impact Energy Use
The complex algorithms used by self-driving vehicle technology use massive amounts of energy, which could lead to a steep rise in carbon emissions as autonomous cars become more commonplace.
Is an Algorithm Driving Up New York City Rents?
While landlords and boosters are touting a ‘flood’ of returning residents to the city as the reason behind rising housing costs, one New Yorker doesn’t buy it.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
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.
