Principal Investigator(s):
Thomas Fisher, Professor/Director, Metropolitan Design Center
Project summary:
This project is bringing together a multidisciplinary collection of experts in the academic, public, and private sectors to define and understand how the rise of autonomous vehicles will affect the form and function of cities. The research team is relying on the recently established Urbanism Next network that will bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers, public sector, and private sector partners. Through a series of engaged scenario-testing workshops, an online data and research clearinghouse, and online webinars to help disseminate research, this network will:
1. Coordinate existing research on the alternate futures autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies may have on urban form, development, and living;
2. Purposefully gather leaders from academia, industry, government, and national think tanks to delineate and understand the parameters that will decide the course of these forces;
3. Identify critical questions and future research needs in this area; and
4. Develop policy-relevant guidance (white papers, model code/policy, academic journal papers, etc.), aimed at helping decision-makers use evidence to guide design, planning, and development decisions of cities across the country.