Podcast #04 - Will AVs transform cities?

Visions of autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been around for some time. Images of families eating or sleeping in cars propelled automatically were part of the techno-utopian visions of the 1950s, at least in the United States.

Today, autonomous vehicles are poised to become a reality, with technology companies such as Google, and ride-sharing companies like Uber experimenting with autonomous vehicles on existing roads.

In Singapore, an autonomous bus has been plying roads at the Nanyang Technological University and at Gardens by the Bay. However, the impact of autonomous vehicles on cities is not well understood.

AVs are commonly portrayed as panaceas for urban traffic woes in the media, with the promise to allow streets to accommodate traffic more efficiently using less space. But the impact of AVs on cities themselves - on the form of neighborhoods or the interaction of people with vehicles - remains largely unexplored.

Tanvi Maheshwari argues that AVs could revolutionize cities if they are managed and incorporated into a larger urban mobility strategy. An urban designer and current Phd researcher with Future Cities Laboratory’s Engaging Mobility group, Tanvi has been developing simulations to understand how different urban configurations impact the demand for AV.

Working with traffic modelling software and based on urban design concepts, Tanvi argues that AVs can help in creating a more people-friendly urban environment. However, even with the technology already in testing and even rollout phase, the future of urban mobility remains up for grabs.

Cities have a big role to play to make sure we do not end up replicating the mistakes made when the automobile first transformed the way cities were built. This time, cities need to take a more holistic approach.

Singapore, with its forward-looking planning, may be uniquely poised to do just that.