A new company is bringing battery switch stations to the San Francisco-San Jose corridor, laying the groundwork for an electric vehicle taxi fleet.
Electric vehicles (EV's) usually don't make for practical taxis given the several hours it takes to recharge a car's batteries, writes Timon Singh. However, he says, a new model from a company called Better Place will make electric taxis feasible in the Bay Area. Four new switching stations will allow taxis to swap out weak batteries for fresh ones, giving a "near instant charge" in less than the time it takes to refuel at a gas station.
A similar program has already seen success in Tokyo, writes Singh:
"Better Place has already launched an EV taxi program in Tokyo, which is supported by the Japanese government If this system can be transferred to the US, then it could dramatically impact the US' emissions and oil consumption."
Austin Scores Highest on Pandemic Recovery; Bay Area and Baltimore Lowest
The Bay Area Council and CBRE created an economic tracker to measure how well the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas have recovered from the public health restrictions imposed on their regions at the onset of the pandemic.
Bay Area Workers are Moving Back
Many of the tech employees who left Silicon Valley during the pandemic are making their way back to the Bay Area–and so are higher rents.
Bay Area Planners Acknowledge the Need for Regional Housing Solutions
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National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
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Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service