Urban Planning

Researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio are using AI and digital twin technology, or digital replicas of physical homes, to study potential renovation options that could lessen heat's effects on residents.

SafeTraffic Copilot, created by engineers at Johns Hopkins University, uses large language models to analyze huge amounts of data and predict how changes to streets, signs or lights could affect collision frequency.

The St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corp., a city development authority, has indicated it will not support tax incentives for a data center proposed near the Armory in Midtown. Opposition to the project continues.

The state’s premiere such facility will be located at the onetime Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. It is expected to comprise 115,000 square feet and be the first in a “campus” of data centers.

Amid an ongoing conversation about such projects in the Great Lakes region, Grayslake officials are moving forward with a data center campus that, if fully built, would be more than 10 million square feet.

A new report on the electric vehicle charging experience suggests 1 in 3 first attempts at charging still fail — even as operators eye more inventive approaches to raise its availability and convenience.

Officials have a long-term goal of fully electrifying city vehicles. Currently, 16 are fully electric, including a police patrol vehicle unveiled last week. Leaders adopted an EV preference in 2021.

In the face of an increasing number and severity of e-bike accidents this summer, the Virginia Beach City Council wants a task force to devise enforcement methods to keep riders and pedestrians safe.

A county in northern Colorado has placed a moratorium on projects involving data centers, battery storage, wind or solar energy until it can update its regulations.

Residents concerned by their potential for high water and electricity use are organizing, as the Pavilion Township Planning Commission prepares to consider changing zoning ordinances to allow the facilities, in November.

A decade after Ohio voters forbade the devices, City Council members are weighing whether they should stage a return, as a tool to combat reckless driving. State and local hurdles remain, including at the ballot box.

City Council members unanimously approved a motion to amend the city’s Homeless Action Plan with AI-generated recommendations from ChatGPT. The shift restricts how public funds can be used.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in large ridership declines for commuter rail systems, which are now being reimagined for new riders and travel patterns. Systems in California and Philadelphia have made notable gains.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation has announced four operators to lead its International Landing Pad Network, which aims to attract international technology and AI business.

The Akron suburb is upgrading a major corridor with technology to increase communication among vehicles and travelers, and give special priority to emergency vehicles, transit buses and snowplows.

The city is weighing new rules for electric cargo bikes, to free up curb space, fight traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gases. The proposal before the City Council is similar to one New York City adopted last year.

Developers and owners of multifamily housing complexes should understand the nuances around planning and operating electric vehicle charging, those familiar with the industry said, indicating it will soon be an expected feature.

The Urban Land Institute is partnering with cities and a university in California and Nevada in a one-year program to develop policies and programs around extreme heat mitigation and planning.