Waymo

White Waymo autonomous vehicle in parking area in San Francisco, California with Ghirardelli vintage sign in background.

Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development

Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.

January 27, 2025 - San Francisco Chronicle

White Waymo self-driving car on street in San Francisco, California.

Waymo Robotaxis Often Fail to Stop for Pedestrians

One journalist recorded more than a dozen instances of Waymo autonomous cars speeding by when he tried to cross the street.

December 31, 2024 - The Washington Post

Overhead view of white Waymo self-driving car in San Francisco, California with shared bikes and scooters visible on adjacent sidewalk.

Robotaxis Wreak Havoc on Urban Transit

In cities across the United States, robotaxis, championed by companies like Waymo and Cruise, are a marvel of modern technology and a flashpoint for debate over their place in urban transit.

November 11, 2024 - Cities of the Future

Close-up of back windshield of Waymo autonomous car.

NHTSA Launches Investigations Into Two More Self-Driving Automakers

The federal agency is responding to reports of crashes and erratic behavior from Waymo and Zoox vehicles.

May 21, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Jaguar Self-Driving Car

Waymo Expanding Robotaxi Service to More Bay Area Cities

The company was permitted to operate in 22 Bay Area cities without restrictions in March.

May 6, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

White Waymo self-driving taxi on street in San Francisco, California with brick buildings in background.

California Bills Take Aim at Robotaxi Regulation

Local officials want more control over how and where autonomous cars are deployed.

April 29, 2024 - Tech Crunch

Close-up of back of white self-driving Waymo car on San Francisco street.

California Approves Waymo Driverless Taxis

Waymo’s autonomous vehicles can begin picking up passengers in Los Angeles and San Francisco in spite of opposition from local officials.

March 6, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

White Waymo self-driving car in parking lot in Chandler, Arizona.

Waymo to Begin Autonomous Rides on Phoenix Freeways

The company’s autonomous cars will start testing freeway rides with employees as passengers.

January 9, 2024 - The Arizona Republic

White and red Cruise self-driving car with "Self-driver in training" sign on back

Autonomous Cars Putting Strain on Local Governments

As the industry pushes ahead in fits and starts, local officials and first responders are scrambling to develop protocols for handling driverless vehicles.

November 29, 2023 - The New York Times

White and red Cruise self-driving vehicle on a San Francisco street.

Cruise Suspends Driverless Operations, Waymo Pushes Ahead

While Cruise is pausing all of its autonomous services in a bid to “regain public trust,” Waymo, via Uber, will begin offering autonomous rides in Phoenix.

October 30, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

View from rear of white Waymo autonomous taxi van in Mountain View, California

Advice for Autonomous Cars

Drivers for Uber and Lyft in San Francisco express their concerns and advice for self-driving taxi services.

August 16, 2023 - Wired

Cruise (owned by General Motors) self driving vehicle performing tests on the city streets

California Approves Autonomous Cars Over Local Concerns

Despite repeated calls from San Francisco officials to slow the deployment of self-driving cars, a state commission approved expanded access to San Francisco streets.

August 13, 2023 - CALmatters

White Waymo self-driving car with roof-mounted camera driving on San Francisco street with Exploratorium parking lot sign in background

San Francisco Officials Want to Put the Brakes on Self-Driving Taxis

Local officials say autonomous cars are not yet safe enough to be permanently deployed across the entire city.

June 15, 2023 - Governing

Blue and green Waymo logo on black square mounted on grey concrete background

Waymo Expansion Makes Phoenix ‘World’s Largest Self-Driving Car Zone’

The company’s autonomous taxis will soon be available in most parts of the metro area including Tempe, Mesa, and a new airport pick-up location.

May 8, 2023 - Arizona Republic

Self-driving white Waymo Jaguar SUV on street in Chandler, Arizona

How Self-Driving Cars Are Integrating—or Not—Into the Urban Fabric

As they become more common on some U.S. streets, autonomous vehicles are impeding emergency response operations and blocking traffic, idling in neighborhoods, and defying law enforcement.

May 2, 2023 - Arizona Republic

White Waymo self-driving car on San Francisco street

Driverless Cars Blocking Buses, Traffic in San Francisco

Footage from buses and trains show self-driving cars from Waymo and Cruise frequently make unscheduled stops, blocking transit vehicles and causing traffic snarls.

April 13, 2023 - Wired

White Waymo autonomous minivan

Waymo Wants to Bring ‘Robot Taxis’ To L.A.

After launching pilot programs in San Francisco and Phoenix, the company says it is ready to begin deploying its autonomous vehicles on Los Angeles streets.

October 25, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Autonomous Vehicles

Waymo One Now Offering Fully Autonomous Rides to the General Public

Is this the "Kitty Hawk moment" driverless car companies have been seeking?

October 9, 2020 - Waymo

Self-Driving Cars

Ups and Downs for Self-Driving Cars During the Pandemic

While some driverless car companies have expanded operations in the past month, some industry observers caution that the business of autonomous vehicles remains stuck in neutral.

April 13, 2020 - Axios

Jaguar Self-Driving Car

Year One of Waymo

Waymo, like Google a company of Alphabet Inc., has been offering self-driving ride-hailing service to the public for a year, providing 100,000 rides in the Phoenix area in the process.

December 10, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

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.

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.