Technology

Group Meet Up

Pokémon Go to Expand its Reach in the Community

The makers of Pokémon Go, touted for its potential to activate sedentary Americans since its release last year, will take more initiative to participate in community-based events.

May 11, 2017 - Fast Company Co.Design

Tunnel

Elon Musk Elaborates on His Plan for Tunnels Below Los Angeles

Considering it costs $1 billion per mile to dig L.A.'s subway tunnels, how does Elon Musk plan to build a series of car-carrying tunnels with out breaking the bank?

May 10, 2017 - Fast Company

Housing Construction

Making the Case for Wooden Buildings

Is mass timber the new frontier in low-carbon building? The National Building Museum's newest exhibition, Timber City, pays homage to the potential of tall timber structures which have strength comparable to steel.

May 9, 2017 - Doggerel

California Aqueduct

What Will Los Angeles Will Do Next On Housing & Water? Look To Their Neighbors

The cities of Santa Monica, Culver CIty, West Hollywood, and Malibu are championing stormwater infrastructure, new public transit, affordable housing, and action on homelessness prevention.

May 9, 2017 - The Planning Report

Electric Cars

EVs Not Exempt From California’s Transportation Infrastructure Plan

Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature reached a historic agreement to raise the gas tax, but electric vehicle owners will now be required to pay a yearly fee, Will this impact EV sales in the US's best market?

May 6, 2017 - The Planning Report

Bridj Van

Bridj Comes to a Halt

Bridj's bet that it could, well, bridge ride-hailing and public transit didn't pay off. Lacking new investment, the company is shutting down.

May 5, 2017 - CityLab

New York Subway

Is this Any Way to Run a Subway?

In New York's subway, stations are not the only historic parts of the 113-year-old system. Essential communications infrastructure responsible for keeping the trains running belongs in a museum, explaining the cause of many recent delays.

May 4, 2017 - The New York Times

Freeways

Déjà Vu and the Dilemma for Planners

The future, once again, isn't living up to the expectations of planners. How should long-range planning work in a world that is more suburban and more auto-oriented than a generation of planners and urbanists expected?

May 3, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Ocean Grove Sidewalk

What Would Delivery Robots Mean for Public Space?

If companies like Startship and Marble get their way, sidewalks will play host to hundreds of rolling delivery bots. It's one solution to "last-mile" logistics, but are pedestrians prepared to give way?

April 26, 2017 - The Guardian

New Fleet of Self-Driving Cars Offer Rides for Families in Phoenix

Alphabet, Inc's self-driving car wing, Waymo, announced a new program offering free rides in self-driving cars to families in Phoenix.

April 26, 2017 - The Washington Post

Amazon Warehouse

Debating the Role of Amazon Delivery Service in the Future Built Environment

The team at Strong Towns is taking an in-depth look at Amazon, with a week of events, including the point-counterpoint series shared here.

April 26, 2017 - Strong Towns

Pokémon Go

Academic Studies Find Plenty to Like About Pokémon Go

Nearly a year after Pokémon Go and its legion of devout fans hit the streets, researchers are starting to see societal benefits in augmented reality.

April 24, 2017 - Crosscut

Air Quality and Environmental Justice Lead to Push for Zero-Emission Locomotives

The California Air Resources Board has petitioned the U.S. EPA to adopt more stringent emissions standards for locomotives in order to improve air quality at rail yards, many of which are located adjacent to disadvantaged communities.

April 23, 2017 - RailwayAge

Hyperloop

Hyperloop Delivery Schedule Delayed Again

So far, the Hyperloop's biggest supporters have made a lot of big promises, but continue to fall short on deliverables.

April 22, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Driverless Shuttle

Driverless Van Tests Don't Pencil Out

While it might be easy to convince public officials to sell driverless technology as a flashy solution to mobility deficits—the math still doesn't justify the expense.

April 19, 2017 - Eno Center for Transportation

Boston Bus

Boston's Data-Driven Bus System Makeover

MIT's Transit Lab created a ridership model called Origin Destination Transfer (ODX) that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is using to make incremental changes to the region's bus system.

April 18, 2017 - CityLab

Hyperloop

The Hyperloop Hype Machine

After another big announcement from the realm of futuristic transportation, there's reason to remain skeptical.

April 15, 2017 - Curbed

Honda Clarity

More Fuel Cell Vehicles for Lease in 2017

Fuel cell electric vehicles are gaining a following in California, but nowhere else in the U.S. for the simple reason that almost all hydrogen fueling stations are located in the Golden State. Sales, or leases, are expected to jump this year.

April 14, 2017 - The Associated Press

Fiber Optic Cable

Most Americans Say Cities Should be Able to Build Their Own Broadband Networks

It's illegal for local governments to build broadband service in 20 states, and such legislation is spreading.

April 14, 2017 - The Verge

Homeless Encampment

Mapping to Explain Homelessness in the U.S.

A team at Sasaki has created the "Understanding Homelessness" website, full of interactive features and one particularly helpful data visualization.

April 13, 2017 - CityLab

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.