As a part of a competition sponsored by SpaceX, university students and independent engineering teams are building scale-model Hyperloop pods.
Alex Chan details the efforts of the HyperXite team at U.C. Irvine "as they finalize their designs for a pod that would speed through a tube at more than 700 mph, levitated by compressed air."
The team is participating in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, which is scheduled to wrap up this summer. "The competition aims to speed up the development of a prototype," according to Chan. Cnn Money also recently caught up on the development of a prototype, with the leaders of a company, Hyperloop Technologies, already starting to lay test tracks in the California desert.
As for the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, 120 finalists were selected from about 360 submissions in November. "Those teams, representing 20 countries, will present their designs during the competition's Design Weekend on Jan. 29 and 30 at Texas A&M University," reports Chan.
FULL STORY: L.A. to S.F. in an Hour: U.C. Irvine Students Submit Hyperloop Proposal

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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