Technology
Phoenix Seeks to Adopt AI for City and Regional Planning
An extension of the Phoenix metro region’s half-cent transportation sales tax by voters this November would give the city a green flag, and funding, to expand its use of AI as a planning tool.
Virginia Coalition Calls for Increased Data Center Industry Oversight
Environmental groups voice concern that the states large, and growing, number of data centers is putting unsustainable pressure on natural resources and utility infrastructure.
Denver-Inspired Chatbot Serves as Prototype for AI in City Planning and Zoning
A prototype City Planning Chatbot uses AI to answer public questions on zoning and city planning in Denver. Although not endorsed by the City, the experiment demonstrates the potential power of AI to provide accurate planning and zoning answers.
Building Bridges to the Future: Preparing the Next Generation of Planners
Discover the importance of preparing the next generation of urban planners to build a sustainable and thriving future.
A Chatbot Talks Regeneration and Recovery for Seattle
In his recent analysis of trends to watch for 2023, Managing Editor James Brasuell noted how ChatGPT might replace all the writers of Planetizen, and more. Chuck Wolfe decided to take literally Brasuell's “don't let it sneak up on you” admonition.
'Intersections + Identities: A Radical Rethinking of Our Transportation Experiences'
The American Planning Association's free "State of Transportation Planning Report" includes more than two dozen interesting and entertaining chapters by diverse authors on the subjects of planning resilience, equity, technology and mobility.
Opinion: Transportation Funding Priorities Are Outdated
Investing in technology and promoting innovation in the transportation sector can further the Biden administration's goals of reducing carbon emissions and improving public transit.
L.A. Department of City Planning Goes Remote
Los Angeles Department of City Planning Director Vince Bertoni shares the status of the planning department and the daily challenges of providing public-facing service and community meetings under social distancing orders.
Pulling Back the Curtain on the Smart City
Technology is infiltrating every aspect of our lives, but, according to this article, we shouldn't underestimate the nefarious role it plays in urban spaces.
Generative Codes Yield Better Plans
Ngoc Hong Nguyen of the University of Danang writes about a recent article he authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research
Can Autonomous Vehicles Absolve the Sins of 20th Century Planning?
Self-driving cars are likely to become part of the urban landscape in the future, and they have the potential to drastically alter urban environments—in good and bad ways.
Smart Cities, at What Cost?
Kansas City, Missouri, wants to be a smart cities leader, but it also needs to address concerns about data collection and privacy, say critics.
Can Rapidly Urbanizing Cities in Low and Moderate Income Countries Become 'Smarter'?
Penn IUR's Eugenie Birch, Richard Voith and Susan Wachter ask: Can rapidly urbanizing cities in low and moderate income countries become "smarter"?
Former Transportation Secretary Joins Lyft, Explains Why
Anthony Foxx, former Secretary of Transportation under President Obama, has accepted a job at Lyft. In a post, he discusses why.
Donut County: A Villainous Raccoon, a Hole in the Ground, and the Effects of Gentrification
In a new video game, the player is a no-good raccoon wreaking havoc on the world around him.
New Transit Tech Aimed at Blind Bus Riders
Connecthings, a transit app for the blind, is undergoing a trial that will connect its information to the popular wayfinding App BlindSquare in an Austin trial.
Subway Cars Become Art Spaces in Montreal
The MR-63 subway car is being retired but, rather than send them to the junk yard, STM is sending them to artists and engineers to repurpose them and put them to work.
Self-Driving Cars Hog Power
Self-driving cars process a tremendous amount of data to pilot themselves through crowded streets. That computing power needs electricity, and lots of it.
The Good and the Bad of Planning Websites
Students review municipal planning department websites in cities with more than 50,000 people to identify strengths and weaknesses. This post shares examples of the use of websites for information sharing and engagement.
Five Years Later: Zappos Founder's Downtown Las Vegas Project
Tony Hsieh laid out a grand ambition two create a more dynamic downtown in Las Vegas that would change cities all over the world. Now, after a series of setbacks and with dwindling funds, that vision seems unlikely to be realized.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
