Technology

Cars parked along a narrow street with colorful two-story houses in Dublin, Ireland.

Reimagining the Curb: How Smart Curb Management is Transforming Urban Mobility

Modern demands for curbside space call for new ways to manage and allocate it.

January 30, 2025 - Peter Richards

White Waymo autonomous vehicle in parking area in San Francisco, California with Ghirardelli vintage sign in background.

Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development

Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.

January 27, 2025 - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of Annapolis, Maryland.

Annapolis Unveils Interactive Map to Boost Urban Tree Canopy

Annapolis has launched an interactive Tree Canopy Map to engage residents in urban forestry efforts, highlighting tree coverage data and encouraging community involvement to achieve the city’s 50 percent canopy goal by 2050.

January 26, 2025 - Eye on Annapolis

Aerial view of Macarthur Park lake with downtown Los Angeles skyline in background.

What Has Measure ULA Achieved?

Los Angeles has imposed an additional tax on luxury home sales to generate millions for housing efforts in the city. Shelterforce checks in on where the money has gone, and what’s to come.

January 23, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Silver oil pipeline running above ground in snowy area near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Trump Attacks Environmental Rules Amid Flurry of Executive Orders

Several executive orders signed on Monday seek to repeal Obama- and Biden-era environmental regulations and roll back goals to encourage the shift to electric vehicles.

January 22, 2025 - The New York Times

Professional cleaners wearing medical masks and gloves cleaning desks in large empty office.

The Ripple Effects of Remote Work

The number of Americans who work from home rose sharply during the pandemic and remains high, posing important questions about the future of transportation and housing.

January 21, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Looking up at a grove of mature hemlock trees on a sunny day.

Fighting Forest Pests With AI: A Hemlock Success Story

Fairfax County utilized GeoAI and ArcGIS technology to efficiently map and protect its hemlock trees from the invasive woolly adelgid, ensuring targeted pest management and preservation of its evergreen canopy.

January 21, 2025 - ARCNEWS

Destroyed Altadena Community Church facade after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.

UCLA Experts Offer Critical Support for LA Wildfire Response and Recovery

The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation offers expert guidance on LA wildfire response and recovery, addressing critical issues like water safety, air quality, equitable rebuilding, and climate adaptation to promote resilience and sustainability.

January 20, 2025 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Close-up of person wearing Nike tennis shoe on Trinity Metro bike share e-bike.

Fort Worth Relaunches Bike Share Network

The system, operated by Lyft, is made up of primarily e-bikes.

January 20, 2025 - NBC DFW

Front of White House with stormy sky above.

How the Trump Presidency Could Impact Urban Planning

An analysis of potential changes in federal housing, transportation, and climate policies.

January 19, 2025 - Planetizen

Close-up of "Residential Quiet Zone" sign.

Noise as a Public Health Hazard

New ways of measuring the effects of sound on human health are helping communities fight back against noise pollution.

January 15, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Large trees on either side of wide suburban street.

How AI Is Revolutionizing Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience

Tree-D Fusion, an AI-driven tool developed by MIT and Purdue researchers, generates 3D models of urban trees to help city planners visualize future green spaces, address climate challenges, and enhance urban livability and sustainability.

January 13, 2025 - Wood Central

Child wearing yellow reflective safety vest looking before crossing street.

Study: Auto Braking Tech Doesn’t Register Reflective Clothing

The automatic braking systems on two major car models failed to stop for pedestrians wearing reflective strips in a test.

January 10, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of hand holding smartphone and Tesla car hood in background.

NHTSA Investigation Targets Tesla Remote Parking

Dozens of videos reportedly show Tesla vehicles colliding with other cars, parking signs, and walls while using a driverless remote parking feature.

January 8, 2025 - The Verge

Graphic illustrating street with various lanes designed in Streetmix.

Reimagining Your Street

How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.

January 3, 2025 - Urbanism Speakeasy via Substack

Close-up of CNC machine 3D printing a concrete house wall.

Oklahoma Lawmaker Looks to 3D Printing to Create Affordable Housing

Over a dozen U.S. states already permit 3D-printed homes, which can cost less and use fewer resources than conventional homes.

January 2, 2025 - Oklahoma Voice

Close-up of person riding green and white Lime e-scooter.

NYC E-Scooter Program Threatened Despite High Ridership

Rental scooters in Queens and the Bronx provided close to two million trips in 2024, with many trips starting or ending near transit. Some city officials want to remove them.

January 2, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Oil well pumpjack sillhouetted against a bright pink sunset sky.

Upcoming Conference Spotlights California's Orphan Wells

The 2025 Orphan & Idle Wells California Conference will address the environmental, economic, and public health challenges of abandoned oil and gas wells, focusing on remediation strategies, regulatory frameworks, and community-centered solutions.

December 31, 2024 - Energy Conference Network

White Waymo self-driving car on street in San Francisco, California.

Waymo Robotaxis Often Fail to Stop for Pedestrians

One journalist recorded more than a dozen instances of Waymo autonomous cars speeding by when he tried to cross the street.

December 31, 2024 - The Washington Post

Oil well in prairie landscape.

Reclaiming Oil Wells for Renewable Energy in Rural Colorado

A company is seeking to repurpose abandoned oil wells in Pierce, Colorado, to create a cost-effective geothermal energy system that could heat and cool local buildings, reduce emissions, and serve as a model for sustainable energy nationwide.

December 31, 2024 - Fast Company

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.