Examining the challenges and opportunities of autonomous vehicles to urban planning

Principal Investigator(s):

Jason Cao, Professor , Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Co-Investigators:

  • Frank Douma, Director, State & Local Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Project summary:

Using a series of qualitative approaches, this project examined the potential impacts of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on transit and parking systems. A literature review helped researchers identify three orders of general impacts caused by the development of AVs, as well as their specific effects on transit and parking. Based on the results of the literature review, researchers organized two focus groups and held in-depth discussions regarding the impacts of AVs with planning practitioners from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The analytical results showed that opinions differ regarding what AV's specific effects might look like. Nevertheless, all of the literature, as well as participants of the focus groups, agreed that AVs will have significant impacts and corresponding planning policies need to be developed.

Project details: