Technology

Cities Need to Evaluate Wireless Standards for Sensors and IoT

Many cities rely on basic WiFi and 2G networks for their sensors and connected devices. As the number of devices increases, and carriers are abandoning 2G, new wireless standards have emerged, offering more range and flexibility.

April 14, 2018 - Iot Times

Security cameras on a building

How Surveillance in Cities is Evolving

Across the globe, smart cities are increasingly procuring and implementing information technology in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban spaces. The former CTO of L.A. and the mayor of Beverly Hills weigh in on the subject.

April 13, 2018 - The Planning Report

Eating and Driving

Design Solutions for Distracted Driving

A columnist explores how to create an environment that encourages focused, safe driving.

April 12, 2018 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Jump Bikesahre

Uber Going Multi-Modal and More

A public appearance by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi reveals the motivations behind some of Uber's recent businesses moves.

April 11, 2018 - The Verge

Child in Car

Ride-Hailing Service, but for Kids

The launch of HopSkipDrive in Denver reflects a nationwide trend.

April 11, 2018 - The Denver Post

240 'World Changing Ideas,' Including Transportation and Urban Design

Fast Company’s second-annual World Changing Ideas Awards will recognize winners in 12 categories. There are now 240 finalists.

April 10, 2018 - Fast Company

E-Bike Bikeshare

Breaking News: Uber Buys JUMP Bikes

Beleaguered transportation network company Uber has acquired JUMP, one of the dockless bikesharing companies making news in recent months in cities around the United States.

April 9, 2018 - CNET

Power Lines

Cryptocurrency Goes in Search of Cheap Power, Finds it in Small-Town America

Some of the least expensive electricity in the country can be found in Upstate New York, where cryptocurrency miners are starting to set up shop—with or without local approval.

April 9, 2018 - CityLab

The Dilemma of Autonomous Vehicle Testing

Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to greatly reduce auto crashes. Advocates want them on the road as early as possible to reduce fatalities. Skeptics worry that the public will be guinea pigs during the testing—case in point: Elaine Herzberg.

April 9, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

MTA/RTA Strategic Plan

Critics See Transit as Old Fashioned

Critics of a transit referendum in Nashville see trains and buses as the transportation solutions of the past. According to this thinking, ride-hailing companies and self-driving cars are the future.

April 8, 2018 - Tennessean

Internet Cables

ACLU Report Recommends Municipal Broadband

Faced with the potential consequences of the federal Communications Commission's recent repeal of net neutrality, a report by the American Civil Liberties Union suggests that municipal internet as an antidote.

April 5, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Weymouth, Massachusetts

The Planned Community of the Future Is Also a 'Smart City'

Planned community developer LStar Ventures is building a smart city experiment near Boston.

April 5, 2018 - The New York Times

Tesla

More Bad News for Tesla—This Time From the EPA

A rollback of fuel economy standards carries huge financial consequences for the all-electric vehicle manufacturer that makes over $300 million annually by selling credits to auto manufacturers unable to achieve current fuel economy standards.

April 4, 2018 - Vox

Quito BRT

Urban Transportation's Four Separate Challenges

At the Shared Use Mobility Summit in Chicago, Jarrett Walker cautioned the tech world to keep four key transportation problems in mind.

April 3, 2018 - Forbes

Automated Vehicle

Police Officer Issues a Ticket to a Self-Driving Car

In San Francisco this week, a city police officer issued a ticket to an autonomous GM Cruise vehicle for failure to yield to a pedestrian. Specifically, the self-driving vehicle got too close to a person walking in a crosswalk.

April 2, 2018 - The Connected Car

Monorail. Las Vegas

Google Debuts Touchless Transit Payments

In its first dive into a touchless transportation payment system, Google Pay is partnering with NXP's MIFARE on a Las Vegas Monorail pilot.

April 2, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

facebook

Facebook Launches New 'Smart City' Experiment: Zuckerburgh

Facebook has announced plans for a new kind of city, which will begin as a new digital layer over reality in Menlo Park, California before quickly spread over everything.

April 1, 2018 - Planetizen April 1st Edition

Uber Self-Driving Car

Scrutiny Turns Toward Uber After First Pedestrian Death by Autonomous Vehicle

It's not just the autonomous vehicle technology, but also the company that operated the self-driving SUV receiving scrutiny after the death of Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Az. on March 18.

March 31, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Tesla Fatal Crash and Battery Fire Under Investigation

Wei Huang, a 38-year-old Apple engineer, died after his Tesla Model X collided with a highway barrier on a Bay Area highway interchange on March 23. NTSB wants to know if it was operating on Autopilot. It took 5 hours to reopen the freeway.

March 30, 2018 - Bloomberg Technology

Mobile Social Media

Housing Advocates Sue Facebook for Discriminatory Housing Ads

A long-brewing controversy has finally resulted in legal repercussions for Facebook.

March 29, 2018 - Curbed

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.