Technology

Ride-Hailing Service, but for Kids
The launch of HopSkipDrive in Denver reflects a nationwide trend.
240 'World Changing Ideas,' Including Transportation and Urban Design
Fast Company’s second-annual World Changing Ideas Awards will recognize winners in 12 categories. There are now 240 finalists.

Breaking News: Uber Buys JUMP Bikes
Beleaguered transportation network company Uber has acquired JUMP, one of the dockless bikesharing companies making news in recent months in cities around the United States.

Cryptocurrency Goes in Search of Cheap Power, Finds it in Small-Town America
Some of the least expensive electricity in the country can be found in Upstate New York, where cryptocurrency miners are starting to set up shop—with or without local approval.
The Dilemma of Autonomous Vehicle Testing
Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to greatly reduce auto crashes. Advocates want them on the road as early as possible to reduce fatalities. Skeptics worry that the public will be guinea pigs during the testing—case in point: Elaine Herzberg.

Critics See Transit as Old Fashioned
Critics of a transit referendum in Nashville see trains and buses as the transportation solutions of the past. According to this thinking, ride-hailing companies and self-driving cars are the future.

ACLU Report Recommends Municipal Broadband
Faced with the potential consequences of the federal Communications Commission's recent repeal of net neutrality, a report by the American Civil Liberties Union suggests that municipal internet as an antidote.

The Planned Community of the Future Is Also a 'Smart City'
Planned community developer LStar Ventures is building a smart city experiment near Boston.

More Bad News for Tesla—This Time From the EPA
A rollback of fuel economy standards carries huge financial consequences for the all-electric vehicle manufacturer that makes over $300 million annually by selling credits to auto manufacturers unable to achieve current fuel economy standards.

Urban Transportation's Four Separate Challenges
At the Shared Use Mobility Summit in Chicago, Jarrett Walker cautioned the tech world to keep four key transportation problems in mind.

Police Officer Issues a Ticket to a Self-Driving Car
In San Francisco this week, a city police officer issued a ticket to an autonomous GM Cruise vehicle for failure to yield to a pedestrian. Specifically, the self-driving vehicle got too close to a person walking in a crosswalk.

Google Debuts Touchless Transit Payments
In its first dive into a touchless transportation payment system, Google Pay is partnering with NXP's MIFARE on a Las Vegas Monorail pilot.

Facebook Launches New 'Smart City' Experiment: Zuckerburgh
Facebook has announced plans for a new kind of city, which will begin as a new digital layer over reality in Menlo Park, California before quickly spread over everything.

Scrutiny Turns Toward Uber After First Pedestrian Death by Autonomous Vehicle
It's not just the autonomous vehicle technology, but also the company that operated the self-driving SUV receiving scrutiny after the death of Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Az. on March 18.
Tesla Fatal Crash and Battery Fire Under Investigation
Wei Huang, a 38-year-old Apple engineer, died after his Tesla Model X collided with a highway barrier on a Bay Area highway interchange on March 23. NTSB wants to know if it was operating on Autopilot. It took 5 hours to reopen the freeway.

Housing Advocates Sue Facebook for Discriminatory Housing Ads
A long-brewing controversy has finally resulted in legal repercussions for Facebook.

Tech Partnerships Seek Greater Mobility for the Disabled
Tech-focused civic partnerships may be one way to unlock greater urban mobility for disabled people. Tools in the works include navigation apps with specialized sound cues and "smart canes" that interact with invisible paint.

Waymo Wants to Provide a 'Self-Driving Vehicle Tailored to Every Trip' (So Why Not Buses?)
Automated vehicle tech frontrunner Waymo is teaming up with Jaguar to offer a luxury self-driving vehicle for "car lovers." Why not partner with bus manufacturers to offer self-driving buses for city lovers?

Pressing Pause on 'Rent Bidding' Apps
Several new apps allow landlords to place available units out to bid. The city of Seattle is concerned the apps might exacerbate prices in an already expensive rental market.

New Lyft Program Puts a 'Geofence' Around Busy Streets
The Lyft geofencing pilot in San Francisco will direct drivers to less busy side streets for pick ups and drop offs.
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
Tyler Technologies
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