Technology
Multi-Modal Trip Planning in Chicago? There Ought to Be an App for That
Samuel Baron makes the case that Divvy, Chicago's "newest transportation system," should be better integrated with the city's other public transport systems.
First Commercial Drones Take to the Skies after FAA Approval
The first FAA-approved commercial drone flights took place this week. The flights will inform the FAA's policy expected by 2015 regarding non-military drone flights, per a mandate from Congress.
Study: Car Sharing Reduces VMT Over Time
Research out of UC Berkeley shows that car sharing lowers all customers' vehicle mileage by about a quarter over time.

5 Reasons to Move to the City (ASAP)
Kevin Roose wonders whether "choosing to live outside a major city is tantamount to opting to live in the past."

Urbanists Soak Up Buffalo: PlaceMakers Empty Their Notebooks
Many of you attended CNU in Buffalo last week, but for those of you who couldn't make it, here's a quick collection of a few of the ideas shared.
The Inside Scoop on Portland's Street Signal System
A new installment of the BikePortland podcast reveals the technical considerations in the city’s signal system that contribute to bike and pedestrian safety.

E-Commerce And The Future Of The City
Chinese cities have grown at an astounding pace over the past few decades, wholeheartedly embracing the automobile. The upcoming IPO of Alibaba and the rise of e-commerce heralds a new, possibly troubling chapter in China's urban development.
Green Light for Red Light Cameras in California
A decisive California Supreme Court ruling on June 5 made life easier for jurisdictions to enforce red-light laws using traffic camera technology by stating that the photos have the "same presumption of validity as other types of photos and videos."
Meet Boston's New Tech-Enabled 'Pop-Up' Bus Service
A private bus service launched this week in Boston that decides service based on crowdsourced data on where and when people need to travel.

Friday Funny: The Signage of the Not-So-Distant Future
A Tumblr called Signs from the Near Future has seen the signs, and has predicted what the signs of the future will look like.
Chicago Lighting Proposal Would Turn the Wattage Up
As part of an initiative called Choose Chicago, meant to boost the city's draw for tourists, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pursuing a plan to light the city up

Did Google Find a Low-Speed Shortcut to Fully Automated Vehicles?
Google's bold new design for a self-driving car has no steering wheel or pedals. And it has a top speed of 40 km/h. Here is a look at Google’s plans and the role low-speed automated vehicles could play in urban transportation.

More Cities Adopting 'Naked Streets'
In the second post in an ongoing "Shareable Cities" series, Mike Clay discusses "naked streets"—a democratizing, stripped-down street management concept that removes streetlights, crosswalks, and other signage.

Does Beauty Still Matter?
The design of urban landscapes has become dominated by a growing call for them to be ecologically resilient. But isn't it important what they look like?
Chicago Regulates Uber and Lyft—but Not Enough to Satisfy Taxi Companies
The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance to regulate companies like Uber and Lyft, but taxi cab companies and their political supporters believe the policy set by the Emanuel Administration doesn't go far enough.

Electric Vehicles Not Welcome in Europe
It may seem odd that the continent of high gas taxes and strong environmental ethos would not take to electric vehicles. Focusing on the news that Renault will delay the release of a new EV, AutoblogGreen explores the poor sales of EVs in Europe.
Bitcoin Mining Operations Set Up in Washington State
The computing power required to mine bitcoins has drawn companies to Washington for the state's cheap, hydroelectric generated power.
Will Driverless Cars Spell Doom for Law Enforcement Budgets?
What happens to law-enforcement budget (and, for that matter, municipal budgets) in a future of law-abiding driverless cars?
Special Delivery: Housing Data Provided by the United States Postal Service
If you're looking for more data on housing in the United States, a dataset produced by the United States Postal Service has many advantages.

An Electric Car the CEO Doesn't Want You to Buy
Please, don't buy the Fiat 500 E, stated Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne during his presentation on a Brookings panel on May 20. It's not because it's a bad car—it's because his company loses $14,000 on every sale.
Pagination
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions