Technology

Eviction

An App to Fight the Eviction Crisis

In "America's Eviction Badlands," universities are developing web apps to help tenants stay in their homes.

August 28, 2018 - CityLab

Taxis

New App Helps Taxis Compete

The Waave app provides some of the functionality of ride-hailing apps to taxi drivers. The app is the result of a New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission pilot program.

August 25, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

Transit Shelter Modernization Plan on the Shelf in Seattle

Transit advocates thought a public-private partnership to modernize transit shelters and enhance the public realm was a done deal.

August 24, 2018 - The Urbanist

Empty Carpool Lane

SUVs Sales Increase in California While Car Sales Drop—Except Those with Plugs

It's a classic paradox, observes David R. Baker for the San Francisco Chronicle: bigger, thirstier vehicles sell better than smaller, more efficient ones, while the market for battery-powered vehicles, especially Teslas, also increases.

August 24, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Automated Bus

The Public Can Hail Driverless Rides in Texas, Starting in October

Drive.ai is advancing its autonomous vehicle service a step further—into the public realm.

August 24, 2018 - The Dallas Morning News

Electric Car Charging Stencil

Tenants in Rent Controlled Buildings in California to Gain EV Charging

An exemption to an existing law was removed Monday when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that affords tenants in rent-controlled buildings the same right to request electric vehicle charging capability as renters in unregulated apartments.

August 23, 2018 - Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. (California)

Amtrak Cascaded

Transit Industry Leadership Expresses Optimism About Meeting Upcoming Safety Deadlines

With a year-end deadline approaching, reports indicate progress by agencies and optimism that vulnerable systems will meet this year’s requirements.

August 23, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Cellular Network

A Texas Community Built for 5G

Developers hope 5G infrastructure will make Frisco Station a hub for self-driving cars, air taxis, and other futuristic technologies.

August 23, 2018 - Dallas News

Student Driver

Treating Self-Driving Cars Like Student Drivers

Eschewing glamor, Drive.ai's self-driving vehicles use bright coloring, insignia, and LED messages to facilitate better interactions with humans on the road.

August 21, 2018 - The Verge

Pedestrians in Chicago

Chicago Could Be Next to Cap Number of Ride-Hailing Vehicles

After New York City approved a similar law earlier in Agust, two Chicago alderman have proposed a law that would limit the number of vehicles operating for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft.

August 21, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Electric Car

Electric Cars: What Are You Waiting For?

Electric cars aren't as expensive as they once were, and the cost of ownership has always been low—so what are you waiting for?

August 21, 2018 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Automated Vehicle

Pedestrian Safety Concerns and New Doubts About Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicle technology is no longer enjoying an uncritical reception. Skepticism, it seems, is becoming a more common response to the idea of setting robot cars free on the streets.

August 20, 2018 - Bloomberg

Highway 520

Study: Ride-Hailing Companies Added 94 Million Vehicle Miles to Seattle's Roads in 2017

A first attempt at quantifying the travel of ride-hailing vehicles at the local level finds companies like Lyft and Uber with a massive footprint.

August 17, 2018 - The Seattle Times

Colorado Multi-Modlaism

A New Treasure Trove of Data on Mobility Services Is Now Available for Researchers

A shared post by Regina Clewlow, CEO and founder of Populus.

August 17, 2018 - Populus on Medium

Security Camera

New Surveillance Technology Gathers Plenty of Data, but Who Has Access?

As new technology for data collection becomes available to police departments around the country, concerns grow about what is being collected and who has access.

August 15, 2018 - Voice of San Diego

Augmented Reality

Making a Place for Virtual Reality in Planning

As virtual reality technology becomes more accessible, it's time to start considering how immersive virtual experiences could help inform visioning process and design decision-making.

August 15, 2018 - IDEA New Rochelle

Urban Grid Logic

Chart Your City's Street Network to Understand its Logic

The roads in your city might conform to a grid, or they might divert around natural resources or landmarks. A new tool aims to help you visualize the "hidden logic" behind urban growth.

August 14, 2018 - CityLab

Autonomous Vehicles

The AV START Act Raises Safety Concerns

The AV Start Act (S. 1885, Thune) is making its way through the U.S. Senate. Critics say the bill will rush autonomous vehicles to the market, and to the streets, without safety regulations.

August 13, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Walking

New App Rewards Green Transportation with Deals

Miles brings the frequent flyer concept to ground level by offering rewards for your daily commute.

August 13, 2018 - The Verge

Mobile Social Media

Numtots, and Lessons in Coalition Building

The evolution of a planning-focused online group has lessons for the wider world.

August 12, 2018 - The New York Times

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.