Smartphones

Mobile applications (apps) are gaining in popularity as tools for increasing participation in local governance and planning, and are opening up new possibilities for planners to tap into the wisdom of the crowd.

September 4, 2012 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Planetizen's annual list of top apps for planners is back, ten years after its first appearance on the site. Scores of apps have been recommended by planners as examples of planning in action, or tools for planning action.

April 27, 2023 - James Brasuell

Mobile apps continue to redefine the practices of planning—urban planning, regional planning, transportation planning, community planning, and rural planning included.

February 28, 2022 - James Brasuell

One common scapegoat for rising pedestrian death rates is "distracted walking." But there is little reason to believe that smartphone-wielding pedestrians are a major cause of roadway carnage.

March 9, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Using a wagon filled with phones, an artist in Berlin demonstrated the disconnect between data and the real world.

February 19, 2020 - Vice

Dockless bikes offer the unexpected and help users navigate and understand the urban environment in new and different ways.

February 16, 2020 - Next City

According to the architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, smart phone technology enabled the most profound changes in Philadelphia during the 2010s.

January 1, 2020 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Insights into the mobile app technology used in the practice and study of planning.

July 29, 2019 - James Brasuell

The implementation of 5G Internet infrastructure raises fundamental questions about how private companies operate in the public realm. Don't expect easy answers.

May 9, 2019 - Kayla Matthews

Planetizen is pleased to present the best of the latest crop of mobile apps by planners and for planners.

May 31, 2018 - James Brasuell

We're updating the annual Top Apps for Planning list, and we want your input.

March 14, 2018 - Planetizen

Los Angeles is planning to join the ranks of cities that will allow transit fare payment by smartphone app. The scope of benefits offered by app-based fare payment is still under development.

January 7, 2018 - Curbed Los Angeles

The Regional Transportation District hopes that the ability to pay transit fares by smartphone will remove the frustration of waiting in line and searching for correct change.

November 5, 2017 - The Denver Post

Bloomberg links the uptick in traffic fatalities throughout the United States to rising smartphone use while driving.

October 24, 2017 - Bloomberg

Introducing the Hop Fastpass system.

August 28, 2017 - The Oregonian

Get this guide for 21 apps and services for enjoying the city of Los Angeles to its fullest, whether you're a resident or a visitor.

February 17, 2016 - Netted

A snow storm came through overnight, your street hasn't been cleared. When can you expect to have your street cleared? Cities are increasingly providing snowplow tracking information to residents.

January 11, 2016 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Many smartphone users have a fitness app that they use to track their routes and progress on fitness goals. The data in these apps is a gold mine for planners, helping lead to better infrastructure investments.

April 3, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Citing anecdotal evidence from Montgomery County, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and China, a Washington Post article argues that cell phones are creating public safety concerns.

September 22, 2014 - The Washington Post

In both a literal and figurative sign of the times, the Chinese city of Chongqing recently installed signage and marking to segregate pedestrian traffic between smartphone users and those walking free of such technological distractions.

September 16, 2014 - The Washington Post