Disruptive innovations have shaped urban life immensely; from steam engines, air planes, and automobiles, our urban form has been altered and redesigned to accommodate their presence. We are at a crux in urban innovation, where autonomous vehicles (AVs) are soon to emerge in urban environments, remodelling the way that people live, work, move, and interact with one another. In this analysis, we consider the implications of AVs on urban mobility and the built environment in London, England. These implications will influence emerging policies which embed autonomous vehicles into existing transportation systems, as well as predictions of what these new systems will look like as imagined by car designers, architects, and urban designers. These policies and designs will be analysed and critiqued through a framework which considers who and what they prioritise, and what this says about emerging forms of urban mobility. Policy analysis and interviews will specialise in how city authorities plan to transition from human-driven vehicles to computer-driven vehicles, as well as analysis of business models from automobile companies and interviews with their designers to better understand how they imagine the vehicle’s integration into urban life. Next, we consider how the trajectories of mass public transport and individual private transport can collaborate with one another to reach a shared vision of new urban mobility, and question what this will mean for urban life. Within this, we will also consider if their ideologies coincide or construct very different perspectives on future mobility. Lastly, our analysis includes taking steps forward and bringing this knowledge and insight into a spatial context within London, imagining what implication this will have on society. This will include the creation of potential spatial scenarios for how this transition will occur, based on the earlier analysis and critique of policy, design, and predictions. In particular, these proposals will consider human welfare and emphasise that our cities are not just spatial configurations which are easily manipulated in the name of efficiency, but homes of billions of people globally. How cities are impacted by autonomous vehicles needs to be carefully considered so that they do not induce divisive and marginalising urban forms and realities, but rather emphasise ideals of cohabitation and inclusivity. In conclusion, we suggest several policy recommendations for how London might proceed with the inclusion of autonomous vehicles within their larger transportation strategies.
Jennifer Sayer & Sarah Barnes
