In the worst version of the autonomous future, San Francisco firefighters have to fight off a self-driving car that crashed into their equipment during a fire, prompting calls for stricter regulations.

Incidents like a recent one in which San Francisco firefighters had to smash the window of a driverless Cruise car that plowed into an active fire scene highlight the need for stricter regulations on autonomous vehicles.
Writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, Ricardo Cano explains that the incident was just one of many. “In letters to the California Public Utilities Commission seeking to curtail their expansion, the city’s Municipal Transportation Agency and County Transportation Authority documented at least 92 incidents between late May and December where self-driving taxis created mayhem on city streets — disrupting traffic, Muni transit and emergency responders.”
The article details some of the Muni disruptions: “During the night of Sept. 23, five Cruise cars blocked traffic lanes on Mission Street in Bernal Heights, stalling a Muni bus for 45 minutes. On at least three different occasions, Cruise cars stopped on Muni light-rail tracks, halting service.”
According to Cano, “Last year, California regulators allowed Waymo to test its cars in San Francisco without a safety driver and gave Cruise permission to charge for driverless rides in roughly 30% of city streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. — a time period when there’s less car and pedestrian traffic.”
But city regulators have repeatedly shown concern. “Their latest correspondence underscores the tension between agencies overseeing city streets and state-regulated autonomous vehicle companies under pressure to commercialize and prove their technologies work without incident.” San Francisco officials say they want the state to require more robust reporting of incidents and proof that the vehicles can operate effectively during rush hours before they can extend their operations.
FULL STORY: Map of SF shows where self-driving cars have caused ‘mayhem’

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland