Apps

Bridj Comes to a Halt
Bridj's bet that it could, well, bridge ride-hailing and public transit didn't pay off. Lacking new investment, the company is shutting down.

Israel Plans to Harness the Power of Waze to Save Wildlife
Just in time for United Nations World Wildlife Day, a new initiative in Israel has launched to identify deadly road crossings for animals by harnessing data collected from the Waze app.

The Best Planning Apps for 2017
A list of mobile apps that support planning, as part of an annual update. Learn about exciting new ways to explore cities and enhance planning via mobile apps. Please feel free to add your own favorites.

Atlanta Adopts Waste-Collection App to Improve Service
The city's public works department hopes the app will improve efficiency, sustainability, and customer service.

App Detects Open Parking Spaces with 99% Accuracy
Technology startup Parkifi seeks to use the Internet of Things to address the long-lamented problem of congestion created by drivers seeking parking.

The App That Puts Street Design Powers Into the Hands of Children
For the first time ever, Norway is crowdsourcing public safety information from kids—made possible through the powers of smart phones and gamification.
Nextdoor, the Social Media Platform for Neighbors, Makes Changes to Reduce Racial Profiling
How Nextdoor responded to racial profiling on its platform should serve as an example to other forms of social media.

Vancouver Start-Up Wants You to Bid On Your Rent
The founders of Vancouver-based Biddwell are hoping to change the way landlords and potential tenants find each other, but a renters' advocacy body sees the new company as bad news for tenants in an increasingly tight housing market.

There's No App for Silver Bullets
Two planning researchers, one a professor at Tufts and another independent, make the case against apps as a panacea for urban problems.

New App Rents Driveway Parking Spaces for $1 an Hour
A pair of entrepreneurs has launched an app that allows property owners to rent driveway spaces to people looking for parking. Also, the app helps people find the parking they are looking for.

Pesky Parking Tickets? There's an App for That
An intrepid student has created a simple chatbot program that helps people get out of parking tickets.

Tips for Transit in the Age of Uber
Hate it or love it, Uber has changed the transportation game across this country. To boost ridership and change its public image, transit should consider taking some cues from the rideshare giant.

Waze vs. Residential Neighborhoods
Accounts of disgruntled residents responding by any means necessary to the flood of cars beckoned by the whims of navigation apps like Waze are spreading across the country.

Get Around Chicago Like an Insider with 20 Apps
These 20 apps and services will help you engage with everything Chicago has to offer in a whole new way.

Auditing D.C. Metro's New Bus Prediction Technology
Regular bus riders know how integral an accurate real-time bus arrival system can be to the experience of bus transit. D.C. Metro just made a switch in technology, and Greater Greater Washington evaluated the results (so far).
New Apps for Discovering Street Food
Apps that improve city living and quality of life in cities are coming to the market seemingly every day. That's fine: it would be impossible to have too many apps for exploring options in street food.
D.C. Metro Changes Arrival Estimation Technology
It's the details of transit apps that matter to users, so the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) just made a change of technology provider that will help make it easier to accurately predict bus arrival times.
An App Made for Urban Explorers
The Likeways app offers a "Space Recommender System" that aims to return serendipity to the process of navigating a city.
Mobile Apps Provide the Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles
Get this guide for 21 apps and services for enjoying the city of Los Angeles to its fullest, whether you're a resident or a visitor.

The Go LA App Offers a One-Stop Shop for Transportation Choices
A public-private partnership between Xerox and the city of Los Angeles rolls out a new mobile trip-planning app to the public today. Now it's on the city's residents to use this new power wisely.
Pagination
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service