Technology

New York City

Are Driverless Cars Good for Cities?

With experts predicting widespread autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption in the not-too-distant-future, many policymakers, designers, and ordinary citizens are left scratching their heads, uncertain of what to expect and how to prepare.

February 22, 2017 - Doggerel

Parking

Google Can Now Predict Parking Difficulty

The way Google predicts parking difficulty could make it easier to develop "smart city" applications in the future.

February 21, 2017 - IoT for All

Empty Retail

Should Online Shopping Change How We Use Ground-Level Space?

Urbanist Jane Jacobs' support for mixed use development has long been seen as the best urban design strategy, but this vision assumed that the retail space under housing could be rented. What if that is no longer the case?

February 19, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Dog Park

All the Reasons to Map a City's Smells

"Smell-mapping" is gaining attention from urban planners, data scientists, and nature conservationists alike.

February 18, 2017 - Citymetric

Minecraft Model

Friday Eye Candy: A Minecraft Duplicate of Chicago

An exemplary display of Minecraft prowess.

February 17, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Passenger Drone

World's First Passenger Drone Readies for Takeoff in Dubai

This summer, commuters may have another option for moving around Dubai as a pilotless drone is prepared to shuttle passengers around the city.

February 15, 2017 - Dezeen

Servers

Big Data Brings Bespoke Cities

This start-up uses an AI to comb through Google Street View images, matching users with cities that fit their "lifestyle preferences."

February 12, 2017 - Quartz

Autonomous Vehicle

A New Policy Agenda for Autonomous Vehicles: It's Time to Lead Innovation

A call for planners, policy makers, and the car industry to assertively lead the policy development in anticipation of the coming wave of autonomous vehicle technology.

February 9, 2017 - William Riggs

Rolling Digital Billboards Hit New Orleans' Streets

A southern Louisiana company is bringing a mobile, four-sided digital billboard to the streets of New Orleans

February 7, 2017 - The Advocate (Louisiana)

Google Maps

Google Maps Update Opens New Access to Mobility and Culture

Google Maps and other navigation and mapping apps have done a lot to inspire and educate people to make the most of their surroundings. New changes to the Google Maps app will add new functionality for those purposes.

February 6, 2017 - Google

Small-Scale Apartment

This Start-Up Takes (Some) of the Hassle Out of Renting

Entrepreneur Tyrone Poole's Oregon start-up matches prospective tenants with rental units they qualify for, eliminating legwork and application fees.

February 3, 2017 - CityLab

Japan High Speed Rail

That D.C.-Baltimore Maglev Concept: An Update

Maglev high-speed rail, financed (partially) by Japan, is still under consideration for the stretch between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. It would take a princely sum to build.

February 1, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Blue City

White Paper: Bringing Online Learning Into the Planning Classroom

A pilot program in Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo's City and Regional Planning Department explored the potential for an online video course platform to enrich and extend curriculum.

January 31, 2017 - William Riggs

San Francisco MUNI

Political Fallout from SF Muni's 'NextBus' Meltdown

The NextBus system, which predicts arrival times for San Francisco's buses and trains, has been unusable for four weeks.

January 28, 2017 - San Francisco Examiner

Coit Tower

To Meet Climate Change Goals, San Francisco Tries Networking

San Francisco's Business Council on Climate Change serves as a 'convener' between municipal government and the private sector to tackle issues related to climate change. Writer Andrew Wade spoke with the Council's executive director, Michael Parks.

January 24, 2017 - Doggerel

San Antonians Angry About Huts, Google Fiber's Fast Internet Plan Hits a Speedbump

Some in Texas are worried about the structures that house Google's Fiberoptic Cables, complaining that the huts are ugly and take up too much park space.

January 23, 2017 - San Antonio Business Journal

Hailing a cab

Setting Expectations for Mobility as a Service

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the effect transportation network companies like Uber will have on mobility. Are we asking the right ones?

January 23, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Traffic

NACTO Releases Principles for Transportation Data Sharing

New "Data Sharing Principles," by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), provide guidance for municipalities hoping to make use of new data sharing opportunities.

January 19, 2017 - National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)

Tailpipe

New Player in Dieselgate

Similar violation but new player—Fiat Chrysler, accused by U.S. EPA of willfully violating emissions standards for certain models of diesel Jeeps and Ram pickups. The charge comes a day after DOJ settled civil and criminal suits with Volkswagen.

January 13, 2017 - The New York Times

Portland Transit

Portland Becomes a Testing Ground for App Based Transportation

German multinational Daimler is investing heavily in how people will get around in the future and using Portland, Oregon as a test bed for its plans

January 13, 2017 - The Oregonian

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.