Model Lab
Introducing Replica, a next-generation urban planning tool
Anonymized location data can help answer key transportation questions — from a regional level all the way down to a city block.
4 Apr
Sidewalk Talk
Q&A
A vision of city transportation, circa 2043
A Sidewalk Talk Q&A with forward-looking transport scholar David Levinson.
2 Feb
15 Innovations That Shaped the City
Street Grids: A City’s Indelible Footprint
Far from a static layout, the grid creates the conditions for new travel modes, adaptable infrastructure, and sustainable growth.
12 Dec
15 Innovations That Shaped the City
GPS: The Technology That Envelops Our Cities—and Brains
Location-based services have transformed much of urban life, from taxis to dating, with far more change to come.
12 Dec
15 Innovations That Shaped the City
Shipping Containers: A Big Box Full of Contradictions
Containerization transformed everything from the urban labor force to suburban shopping.
9 Sep
Blog Post
Driving costs are hidden. Revealing them could help reduce traffic
Navigation apps that show the true cost of a trip might nudge people into making a different decision.
6 Jun
Open-Source Tool
A first step toward creating a digital planning laboratory is populating it
Introducing Doppelgänger, Model Lab’s open-source population synthesizer.
6 Jun
Blog Post
A key to democratizing urban solutions is building better models
By relying on sharper data, new approaches to modeling can lead to faster policies and greater consensus.
4 Apr
MAP DEMO
How the L train shutdown will impact your commute
Our NYC Transit Explorer shows how long it takes to get anywhere in the city by bus or subway. Even during L-mageddon.
2 Feb
GUEST POST
The transformative potential of real-time transportation coordination
By Kevin Webb
1 Jan
Blog Post
Improving urban mobility starts with better travel data
New digital tools can help us gain better insights into how people move around cities, and ask better questions about what we want our transportation systems to achieve.
12 Dec
BLOG POST
The importance of coding the curb
Who says infrastructure management isn’t sexy? A digital street asset inventory can improve parking, planning, transparency, and more.
8 Aug
EVENT VIDEO
What’s the City’s Role in Autonomous Vehicles?
The full panel discussion from our Sidewalk Talk event on a driverless urban future.
8 Aug
Op-Ed
Building urban tech tools starts with listening to cities
The conversations we had about the future of mobility during the DOT Smart City Challenge were just the beginning of a longer collaboration.
6 Jun
Q&A
‘Connected streets’ and the next generation of urban mobility
A Sidewalk Talk with James Corless and Russell Brooks of Transportation for America.
6 Jun
BLOG POST
How ‘shared parking’ can improve city life
More efficient parking systems mean less congestion, fewer emissions, and lower rents.
5 May