Technology

Bike Commute

Can a Bike Commute Cause More Harm Than Good?

Researchers at Columbia University are investigating pollution intake among cyclists to determine if cycling really is a healthy way to commute.

December 5, 2017 - Doggerel

Uber Self-Driving Car

Mapping the World's Autonomous Vehicle Proving Grounds

Around the world, nearly 70 cities are already testing and developing automated vehicles in some capacity.

December 5, 2017 - Quartz

Smart City Master Plan Announced Near Boston

"Smart city" plans are being announced at a steady clip. The latest master planned "smart city" proposal comes for a former U.S. Navy-owned site near Boston.

December 4, 2017 - Dezeen

Greener Gasoline to Come from Solar-Powered Oil Wells in California

Crude oil from Kern County's Belridge field will soon have a much lower life cycle carbon intensity thanks to new solar technology used to extract hard-to-get oil. The renewal of California's carbon cap-and-trade market made it possible.

December 4, 2017 - The Washington Post - Energy and Environment

The High Cost of Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging

There's nothing like the convenience of charging one's electric vehicle at home, assuming you have a garage, driveway, or your apartment building has a charger. California cities and utilities are working to increase EV infrastructure on all fronts.

December 3, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Crosswalk Button

Giving Pedestrians a Head Start on Safety

Traffic signals at more than 2,000 intersections in New York City now have a pedestrian head start, making them the "unsung heroes" of Vision Zero.

November 30, 2017 - The New York Times

Christmas Tree

All I Want for Christmas Is a New Transportation Planning Process

I put my Christmas wish in a little early this year—wanted to give Santa time to deliver, and it's not an easy wish to grant. No data, no graphs, no citations, just some thoughts to share.

November 30, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Parking Meter Fail

Making the Leap From Smart Projects to Smart Cities

Most "smart city" projects to-date are somewhat isolated and are not part of a more comprehensive network.

November 28, 2017 - Scientific American

Cross-Laminated Timber

Timber Industry 'Bracing' for Soaring Demand

Building with wood is back in fashion, but lumber producers have to reckon with thorny politics and new timber-based materials that have yet to be truly defined.

November 28, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Ambulance

How the U.S. Compares to Other Nations in Road Safety

It's not just death from gun violence where the U.S. is an outlier. The New York Times compiled traffic fatality data showing that other developed nations have greatly lower traffic death rates, which wasn't historically the case.

November 27, 2017 - The New York Times

Pittsburgh

The Young History of Open Data Leadership in Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh's Open Data project recently released a progress report to commemorate its first two years in operation.

November 27, 2017 - Data-Smart City Solutions

Facebook Still Allowing Discriminatory Housing Ads

Last year, ProPublica revealed that Facebook's advertising features were allowing discriminatory housing advertisements in conflict with Fair Housing Act. After promising to improve, Facebook still fails the standards of federal law.

November 22, 2017 - ProPublica

Shenzhen, China

Foxconn Wanted an Autonomous Vehicle Lane to Locate in Wisconsin

News of the details of the negotiation between Taiwan-based Foxconn and the state of Wisconsin have revealed ideas about transportation planning that are either ambitious or delusional, depending on your opinion.

November 21, 2017 - Biz Times

Goods Movement

Tesla's 'Badass' Electric Semi Beats Diesel and Rail, Says Elon Musk

Tesla introduces a high-performance, totally electric, semi-autonomous truck that that can haul 80,000 of freight for 500 miles without recharging.

November 20, 2017 - Vox

Chicago, IL

New Tool Analyzes Chicago Zoning Maps

Six thousand different maps of Chicago can now be automatically dissected online.

November 16, 2017 - Chicago Cityscape

Bridj Van

On Demand Ride-Sharing Finds New Homes

Via Transportation Inc is picking up where Bridj left off—offering on demand ride sharing in cities in California and Texas.

November 15, 2017 - Smart Cities Dive

Glen Ellen, California

Could Autonomous Vehicles Save Lives in Disasters?

Autonomous vehicles could provide life-saving assistance in the event of a large-scale evacuation, if a shared fleet of autonomous vehicles is built with this purpose in mind.

November 15, 2017 - Michael R. Boswell

Grid Bike Share

On the Pitfalls of Dockless Bikeshare

App-driven bikeshare, without the station, has been spreading rapidly, especially in China. But the system comes with its share of problems, including its own version of the tragedy of the commons.

November 14, 2017 - The Guardian

Microsoft

Bill Gates Buys 25,000 Acres in Arizona for a Master Planned 'Smart City'

The new community of Belmont will join Arcosanti as another attempt at turning Arizona desert into the next evolution of human habitation. This time, one of the richest men in the world is behind the plans.

November 13, 2017 - KPNX

Uber App

U.K. to Uber: Drivers Are Employees

A court ruling in the United Kingdom topples a pillar of the so-called gig economy: Uber's approach to employment.

November 12, 2017 - The New York Times

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.