UrbanTech News Roundup
Construction tech:
- WeWork buys project management app to build out space for tenants. Techcrunch
- MUST READ: Construction is ready for disruption. Recode
- SolePower brings wearable sensors to the construction site. Post Gazette. Similar: Ahead's smart helmets make construction safer. Geek
- Mini-warehouse & storage industry sets records for construction spending. Bloomberg
Transportation and Mobility:
- MUST READ: The key to being the first successful ride sharing company to conquer autonomous driving is through partnerships. Lyft has been gaining on Uber over the past year, partnering with GM, Jaguar, nuTonomy, and Waymo. Wired
- Careem, the Uber of the Middle East, raises $500M. TechCrunch Meanwhile, Apple is working on autonomous car technology, what Tim Cooke describes as the "Mother of all AI Projects." Techcrunch But Uber and Lyft are likely to remain on top in America as long as the regulatory environment remains the same. CityLab
- Hartford, CT is the first business district to offer free roadside assistance to bikers. Streetsblog
- SamTrans looks to youth to develop mobility initiatives. Streetsblog
- Smart bike-sharing company, Mobike, expands into Europe. Digital Trends
- BlueLA brings car-sharing to low income neighborhoods while combating climate change. LA Times
- Waymo abandons Firefly cars and switches focus to mass market autonomous vehicles. Business Insider
Urban Planning:
- How can we make better use of the spaces and buildings we already have to create affordable housing? CityWalk Similarly, NYC program looks to tech companies to fix public housing. Cre.Tech
- Innovation centers will not necessarily have a negative impact on low-income residents. Citylab
- Does Oakland's resilient EcoBlock represent an infrastructure overhaul? Govtech
- In Denver, a pop-up park transforms a parking lot. Streetsblog
- How Asian Americans have remade suburbia. CityLab
- Blockchain in smart cities, more than just bitcoin. Zawya
- Dave Mcclure: "The essence of Silicon Valley is portable." CNBC
Pollution and Climate Change:
- London's Better Future Incubator is investing in clean tech solutions to combat climate change. Techcrunch . In a related story, Ford deploys innovation hub in UK. Diginomica
- Technology needed to meet Paris Climate Change targets is behind. Clean Technica
- CityTree uses moss to combat air pollution in cities. Futurism
- Apple issues second $1B green bond to fund renewable energy projects. Bloomberg
- Will the energy innovation office Trump wants to shut down have the chance to prove itself? NYT Related, Prince's cleantech incubator proves angel investors needed to combat cuts to energy programs. Bloomberg