Technology

Close-up of person holding up smartphone next to contactless fare reading device on bus

Federal SMART Grants Awarded for Transportation Safety, Equity Projects

The grant program focuses on the use of technology to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency in transportation.

March 21, 2023 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Interior of Tesla car with driver holding hands off wheel in 'full self-driving' mode

Buttigieg: Tesla ‘Autopilot’ Marketing ‘A Concern’

The USDOT secretary says marketing doesn’t fall under his department’s investigative authority, but expressed disapproval of language that implies autonomous operation.

March 20, 2023 - Bloomberg

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

2017 Apps

Survey: Help Identify the Best Planning Apps of 2023

Planetizen needs your help updating the definitive list of mobile apps for professional, student, academic, or citizen planners.

March 12, 2023 - Planetizen

North Carolina

North Carolina Drafts Clean Transportation Plan

Similar to other plans focused on reducing emissions from the transportation plan, North Carolina’s draft Clean Transportation Plan will rely on electric vehicles to reduce emissions from the state’s transportation sector.

March 7, 2023 - Government Technology

Dark blue Tesla with crumpled front bumper on rainy highway with red fire truck in background

Majority of American Drivers ‘Afraid’ of ‘Self-Driving’ Cars

Responses to a AAA survey indicate a rising fear of automated vehicles in the wake of high-profile crashes and federal investigations.

March 3, 2023 - AAA

Black and white photo of Pike Place Market entrance in Seattle with "PUBLIC MARKET" and "Meet the producer" signs

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.

February 28, 2023 - Charles R. Wolfe

Resilience Matters: Collective Action For Healthier Communities

The Island Press Urban Resilience Project (URP) has published a new, free "Resilience Matters" e-book that contains fascinating articles, op-eds, and interviews that provide practical guidance for collective action to build a fairer, greener future.

February 27, 2023 - Resilience Matters: Collective Action for Healthier Communities

British Columbia

How Much Will That Infrastructure Really Cost?

A new tool developed in British Columbia calculates the cost of infrastructure over the entire life cycle of the project.

February 26, 2023 - Strong Towns

A button to start a car reads “2023 Start”

Planning Trends to Watch in 2023

The days and weeks since the arrival of Covid-19 have been filled with so much noise about the future, it’s been difficult to distinguish between big stories and frivolous distractions. Planetizen is here to help.

February 21, 2023 - James Brasuell

Close-up of multiple black and red Tesla cars parked in a lot

Recall Affects Over 360,000 Tesla Cars with ‘Full Self-Driving’ Software

Federal regulators are asking the carmaker to update the software on vehicles equipped with FSD due to its poor safety record.

February 17, 2023 - The Verge

Close-up of line of cars at electric vehicle charging station

Virginia Ties Clean Car Standards to California

The last obstacle to a 2021 bill linking Virginia’s emissions standards to California policy was defeated on a party-line vote in the state’s legislature, paving the way for a shift to electric vehicles.

February 16, 2023 - The Virginia Mercury

An aerial view of Los Angeles at dawn, with Westlake and MacArthur Park in the foreground and Downtown Los Angeles in the background.

How L.A. County is Ensuring Data-Informed, Equity-Driven Implementation of the American Rescue Plan

Los Angeles County has developed a series of tools to democratize data on communities most impacted by COVID-19 and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act programs and services developed to serve them.

February 13, 2023 - County of Los Angeles

Overhead view of people at a large table working with charts and graphs on laptops and on paper

The Importance of Good Data Visualization

When done right, data visualization effectively translates complex data into easily understood visuals in the form of graphs, charts, maps, plots, animations, and more.

February 13, 2023 - The New Stack

Self-driving white and red Cruise vehicle (Chevy Bolt body) in San Francisco with cyclist following behind

San Francisco Officials Detail Self-Driving Car ‘Mayhem’ in Letter to State

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.

February 9, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Low close-up shot of black and pink Lyft e-scooters lined up on downtown Los Angeles sidewalk

Lyft Shifting to Docked E-Scooters

After failing to deliver on promises of frictionless, free shared mobility, the operator will begin docking its scooters at stations to reduce sidewalk obstructions and eliminate the need to collect scooters for recharging.

February 6, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Photo of cars on two-way separated highway with illustrated lines between them indicating tech-driven decisions

How Autonomous Cars Could Impact Energy Use

The complex algorithms used by self-driving vehicle technology use massive amounts of energy, which could lead to a steep rise in carbon emissions as autonomous cars become more commonplace.

February 2, 2023 - Dezeen

Multicolored four-story brick New York City apartment buildings with fire escapes

Is an Algorithm Driving Up New York City Rents?

While landlords and boosters are touting a ‘flood’ of returning residents to the city as the reason behind rising housing costs, one New Yorker doesn’t buy it.

February 1, 2023 - Curbed

SEPTA Station

SEPTA To Install Arrival Clocks

The digital displays will finally let riders know when the next train is coming.

January 27, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Exterior of Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas

Critiquing an AI-Generated Architecture Critic

Artificial intelligence is being used to generate all kinds of content. Can it successfully replace architecture critics, or does understanding place require physical presence?

January 23, 2023 - The Dallas Morning News

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.