Technology
Residents Move Into America's First Solar Powered Town
Residents will live in solar powered homes and ride around the community in self-driving, solar-powered shuttles. Babcock Ranch outside of Fort Myers, Florida, has been in the making since 2005. A city of 50,000 is forecasted.
Radar Speed Sign 2.0: How a Small Town Calmed Its Traffic
To get a handle on drivers whizzing through its main road, the small town of Betterton, Maryland installed a "smart" radar speed sign. The data it collected helped the local sheriff's department improve traffic enforcement.
10 Principles Toward More Sharing and Less Sprawl
A manifesto for street livability, health, and humanity in the era of driverless cars.
What the Largest Tech Confab of the Year Revealed About Self-Driving Cars
CES has wrapped up in Las Vegas, but not before event offered numerous experts a chance to prognosticate about the timeline for autonomous vehicles to arrive on the market.
'Textalyzers' Could Help Cops Bust Distracted Drivers
Chicago is one of the first cities to consider the use of "textalyzers," which would allow police officers to scan phones to see if they were in use during an accident.
Largest Desalinated Water Reserve Ever Unveiled in Abu Dhabi
The UAE has created a storage facility under the desert that can provide up to 100 million liters per day in the event of an emergency.
New Study Provides a Counter-Narrative for Ride-Hailing Companies
A new study finds evidence that ride-hailing trips are at least as efficient, and often more efficient, than private, personal automobile trips.
San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower Opens, Underwhelms
Of the city’s newest, tallest building John King writes, “[it’s] as if the creators were so busy being tasteful they forgot that big buildings can be fun."
Ford Developing a 'Transportation Mobility Cloud'
The future of every kind of vehicle—not just autonomous vehicles—will be built on technologies. Time will tell if Ford manages to corner the market on this particular form of transportation.
Regardless of Cost, New York Must Rehabilitate its Crown Jewel: the Subway
Depending on what's included, the cost to rebuild the ailing 665-mile system could be $111 billion, but the city's future depends on it. A feature-length New York Times Magazine piece looks at its history and suggests ways to finance rebuilding.
How an Urban Grid Becomes a Maze
Many rational, open grids can seem like a labyrinth to users. The labyrinth has emerged as an unplanned consequence of the evolution of cities, but solutions like GPS navigation and autonomous vehicles could mean relief.
'Tall Timber' May Be the Future of Building
Mass timber is a major structural element of an increasing number of skyscrapers, according to a CTBUH survey; now, the fire codes just have to follow.
Coming to L.A. Transit in 2018: Smartphone Fare Payment
Los Angeles is planning to join the ranks of cities that will allow transit fare payment by smartphone app. The scope of benefits offered by app-based fare payment is still under development.
U.S. on Track to Record Oil Production This Year
The current U.S. record is 10 million barrels per day set in 1970. Last year averaged 9.2 million b/d. Experts believe that record will be reached this spring, if it hasn't already. Can Trump claim credit for the surging production?
New Hampshire Bills Target Vehicles That Don't Guzzle Enough Fuel
Two bills target hybrid and electric vehicles and even fuel efficient vehicles with new registration fees to increase road funding, as nine states did last year. However, many of those states also hiked gas taxes in the same legislation.
Flooded With Navigation App Users, a Town Closes Its Streets
Navigation apps like Waze often reroute drivers onto residential streets that would be quiet otherwise. With some residents unable to leave their driveways, the New Jersey borough of Leonia has taken an extreme measure against the problem.
Welcome to the Electric Vehicle Charging Station of the Future
But only if you drive a Tesla. Unlike a traditional "fill-up," charging an EV takes time—30 minutes for Tesla Superchargers—so Tesla provides an exclusive lounge for its customers at a new 40-Supercharger "rest stop" on I-5 in California.
Friday Eye Candy: The Cars of the Future, Envisioned by Children
Ten children, ages six through 12, were asked to draw the cars of the future, and then a professional illustrator touched up their ideas.
Mapzen to Close at the End of January
The mapping community was sad to learn this week that the Mapzen open source mapping platform would cease operation at the end of the month. Many of Mapzen's open source tools will live on, for those that now how to use them.
Women-Only Ride-Hailing: A Safety Solution?
In Mexico, one popular app illustrates the feasibility and efficacy of women-only transportation models.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
