Technology

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

July 15, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10, 2025 - The Markup

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Blue sign with white gas pump symbol with electric plug and "EV"

‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Guts EV Tax Credits

The bill eliminates federal subsidies for electric vehicle buyers and charging stations.

July 7, 2025 - Engadget

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Close-up of green and white sign for 1 hour EV charging station outdoors with tall palm trees in background against blue sky.

Judge Reverses Federal Funding Freeze for EV Infrastructure

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, a $5 billion program aimed at improving charging infrastructure.

June 25, 2025 - News From the States

Bird's eye view of busy urban intersection with bus lanes, traffic, and pedestrians.

How Understanding Near-Misses Can Improve Road Safety

Most road safety efforts are based on data about crashes that have already occurred. But important information can be gleaned from incidents when something almost went wrong, but didn’t.

June 24, 2025 - Cities Today

Close-up on white sign with green "Reserved Parking" letters and blue accessibility symbol.

Raleigh Pilots App-Based Feedback Program for Accessible Parking

The city is using the program to collect real-time information about accessibility issues and correct them quickly.

June 24, 2025 - GovTech

Low view of row of red, grey, and black Tesla electric cars.

Texas Safety Advocates Raise Alarm in Advance of Tesla Robotaxi Launch

The company plans to deploy self-driving taxis in Austin with no oversight from state or local transportation agencies.

June 23, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Blue Austin public transit bus with graphic reading "I ride to keep the city clean and earth happy."

Austin Tests Self-Driving Bus

Autonomous buses could improve bus yard operations for electric fleets, according to CapMetro.

June 23, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

June 20, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Large port with containers, cranes, and ships at dusk.

How Planners Can Help Cut Corporate Carbon

Up to 75 percent or more of many companies’ greenhouse gas emissions come from activities impacted by urban planning. Like it or not, planners are key players in mitigation. Technology can help.

June 16, 2025 - Devin Partida

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

June 16, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal with yellow minibuses and other traffic.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs

Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

June 15, 2025 - Fast Company

Bike Parking Utrecht Centraal Station

Supporting Cycling Takes More Than Just Bike Lanes

Safe, protected bike lanes are a key part of a city’s bike infrastructure — but secure parking, e-bike charging, and other amenities can also influence people’s shift to cycling.

June 11, 2025 - Cities Today

Close-up of laptop with real estate listings shown on map.

Jersey City Latest to Ban Rent-Setting Algorithm

Officials say the software offered by RealPage ‘magnifies’ the potential for price gouging.

June 11, 2025 - Governing

Close-up on silver Tesla logo on black car hood dotted with raindrops.

Tesla Protests Release of Documents About Austin Robotaxi Launch

The company seeks to block the release of emails with city officials on the grounds they could contain confidential information and trade secrets.

June 10, 2025 - Reuters

Ground level view of Alaska Pipeline oil pipeline near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska with bare mountains in background.

New Alaska Bitcoin Mine Would Burn as Much Energy as the State’s Largest Coal Plant

Fueled by “stranded” natural gas, the startup hopes to become the largest in the US, and to make Alaska an industry center.

June 8, 2025 - Alaska Beacon

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.