Technology

Bird's eye view of workers installing solar panels on rooftop.

Building a Just Transition from the Ground Up

Effective just transitions require locally driven solutions that prioritize inclusion, agency, and accountability, ensuring that communities, cities, and national policies align to create equitable and sustainable economic opportunities.

February 5, 2025 - World Economic Forum

Green Uber Eats delivery robot waits at crosswalk in Tokyo, Japan.

Opinion: Delivery Robots Need Regulation Now

Ride-hailing and scooter companies blindsided cities. They shouldn’t let delivery robots do the same.

February 4, 2025 - Policy Options

Tall mature green trees lining a concrete walkway next to a street with multistory apartment buildings on other side and sun filtering through the leaves.

New Interactive Tool Helps Cities Assess and Strengthen Urban Tree Canopies

A new national tree canopy assessment tool, available at TreesAtWork.org, provides high-resolution data to help cities track tree cover changes, prioritize planting efforts, and enhance urban resilience.

February 3, 2025 - Arbor Day Foundation

Multifamily housing under construction.

How Might Tariffs and Deportations Affect Affordable Housing Development?

Many affordable housing developers worry Trump’s proposed taxes on imports and crackdown on immigration will be detrimental to the industry. Others hope deregulation reduces development costs enough to offset those effects. What’s the most likely outcome?

January 30, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Cars parked along a narrow street with colorful two-story houses in Dublin, Ireland.

Reimagining the Curb: How Smart Curb Management is Transforming Urban Mobility

Modern demands for curbside space call for new ways to manage and allocate it.

January 30, 2025 - Peter Richards

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

Aerial view of Annapolis, Maryland.

Annapolis Unveils Interactive Map to Boost Urban Tree Canopy

Annapolis has launched an interactive Tree Canopy Map to engage residents in urban forestry efforts, highlighting tree coverage data and encouraging community involvement to achieve the city’s 50 percent canopy goal by 2050.

January 26, 2025 - Eye on Annapolis

Aerial view of Macarthur Park lake with downtown Los Angeles skyline in background.

What Has Measure ULA Achieved?

Los Angeles has imposed an additional tax on luxury home sales to generate millions for housing efforts in the city. Shelterforce checks in on where the money has gone, and what’s to come.

January 23, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Silver oil pipeline running above ground in snowy area near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Trump Attacks Environmental Rules Amid Flurry of Executive Orders

Several executive orders signed on Monday seek to repeal Obama- and Biden-era environmental regulations and roll back goals to encourage the shift to electric vehicles.

January 22, 2025 - The New York Times

Professional cleaners wearing medical masks and gloves cleaning desks in large empty office.

The Ripple Effects of Remote Work

The number of Americans who work from home rose sharply during the pandemic and remains high, posing important questions about the future of transportation and housing.

January 21, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Looking up at a grove of mature hemlock trees on a sunny day.

Fighting Forest Pests With AI: A Hemlock Success Story

Fairfax County utilized GeoAI and ArcGIS technology to efficiently map and protect its hemlock trees from the invasive woolly adelgid, ensuring targeted pest management and preservation of its evergreen canopy.

January 21, 2025 - ARCNEWS

Destroyed Altadena Community Church facade after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.

UCLA Experts Offer Critical Support for LA Wildfire Response and Recovery

The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation offers expert guidance on LA wildfire response and recovery, addressing critical issues like water safety, air quality, equitable rebuilding, and climate adaptation to promote resilience and sustainability.

January 20, 2025 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Close-up of person wearing Nike tennis shoe on Trinity Metro bike share e-bike.

Fort Worth Relaunches Bike Share Network

The system, operated by Lyft, is made up of primarily e-bikes.

January 20, 2025 - NBC DFW

Front of White House with stormy sky above.

How the Trump Presidency Could Impact Urban Planning

An analysis of potential changes in federal housing, transportation, and climate policies.

January 19, 2025 - Planetizen

Close-up of "Residential Quiet Zone" sign.

Noise as a Public Health Hazard

New ways of measuring the effects of sound on human health are helping communities fight back against noise pollution.

January 15, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Large trees on either side of wide suburban street.

How AI Is Revolutionizing Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience

Tree-D Fusion, an AI-driven tool developed by MIT and Purdue researchers, generates 3D models of urban trees to help city planners visualize future green spaces, address climate challenges, and enhance urban livability and sustainability.

January 13, 2025 - Wood Central

Child wearing yellow reflective safety vest looking before crossing street.

Study: Auto Braking Tech Doesn’t Register Reflective Clothing

The automatic braking systems on two major car models failed to stop for pedestrians wearing reflective strips in a test.

January 10, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of hand holding smartphone and Tesla car hood in background.

NHTSA Investigation Targets Tesla Remote Parking

Dozens of videos reportedly show Tesla vehicles colliding with other cars, parking signs, and walls while using a driverless remote parking feature.

January 8, 2025 - The Verge

Graphic illustrating street with various lanes designed in Streetmix.

Reimagining Your Street

How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.

January 3, 2025 - Urbanism Speakeasy via Substack

Close-up of CNC machine 3D printing a concrete house wall.

Oklahoma Lawmaker Looks to 3D Printing to Create Affordable Housing

Over a dozen U.S. states already permit 3D-printed homes, which can cost less and use fewer resources than conventional homes.

January 2, 2025 - Oklahoma Voice

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.