Technology
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.
The Winning Pitches From SXSW's Civic Tech Event
Mayors chose these winners based on their potential to benefit local governments and communities.
Feds Streamline Approvals for 5G Infrastructure
Most deployment of 5G "small cells" won't get any resistance from federal regulations.
Self-Driving Cars' Most Likely Future: Shared 'Robotaxis'
In the wake of a high-profile (and fatal) accident involving an autonomous Uber car, the safety debate is trending. But the broader economic picture still points to a future of shared driverless rides.
Failure of Automated Driving Technology Blamed for First Pedestrian Fatality
Experts who watched the videos taken by onboard cameras equipped in the Volvo SUV that hit Elaine Herzberg determined that Uber's automated driving system failed to perform adequately. The crash points to a need for regulations.
Europe Slaps Data Collected by Cities
Cities collecting personally identifiable data, by the government or through any third party, are responsible to abide by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules, just like any other organization collecting data.
Pagination
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority