Technology

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."

June 8, 2014 - KTVU.Com

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.

June 6, 2014 - New York Times

Times Square

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.

June 6, 2014 - Signs from the Near Future

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

June 5, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

Google Self-Driving Car smaller

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.

June 5, 2014 - Antonio Loro

Shared Street

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.

June 4, 2014 - Woodhouse

Central Park The Lake

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?

May 31, 2014 - Mark Hough

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.

May 29, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

Amsterdam Electric Car 2

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.

May 27, 2014 - AutoBlogGreen

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.

May 25, 2014 - Gizmodo

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?

May 24, 2014 - Network World

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.

May 24, 2014 - CityLab

Amsterdam Electric Car

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.

May 23, 2014 - The Detroit News

First State Legislature to Regulate Uber and Lyft: Colorado

Ivan Moreno reports for the Associated Press on the Colorado Legislature's approval of a bill to regulate transportation network companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar.

May 21, 2014 - AP via Denver Post

Location as Currency: Mapping Apps Will Optimize Indoor Navigation

"Location is the new cookie," says Simon Thompson of Esri, referencing the software in a browser that tracks the websites people visit. Meet the new apps making it happen.

May 21, 2014 - New York Times

Civic Engagement

5 Innovative Tech Solutions for Civic Disengagement

Communities have a growing number of technological resources available to face the challenges posed by a growing population and a resource constrained world.

May 20, 2014 - Tom Spengler

Kerfluffle Over Green Building Rating Systems

The latest dust up over green building rating systems, especially their efficacy relative to each other, highlights the danger of mixing the ideals of environmentalism with the self-interest of running an environmentalist organization.

May 20, 2014 - Ecobuilding Pulse

The Cambridge Tree Map Provides Data on Blossoms and Pollen

"What does a city look like drawn in trees?" Cambridge, Massachusetts recently released an exhaustive database of all the trees on public property around the city.

May 20, 2014 - The Boston Globe

Dispersing Transit Commutes with Financial Incentives and Data

Urban Engines uses real-time transit data, and raffles, to encourage transit riders to commute during non-peak hours.

May 18, 2014 - CityLab

Texas Outpaces California in Promoting Alternative-Fuel Vehicles

In the state of Big Oil, all types of electric cars, propane, and natural gas fueled vehicles qualify for a $2,500 cash incentive, thanks to a bill passed last year that broadens the current alternative-fueled truck program to light duty vehicles.

May 17, 2014 - Fuel Fix

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.