The future of transportation is coming at us at a pace of change that is fast
approaching. Vehicles that drive themselves, may still seem like science fiction,
but may very well dominate our roads in mere years. With cars on the market
already available with varying levels of self-driving capabilities, full autonomous
operation is expected to be integrated well within society in the next decade or so.
And while driverless cars undoubtedly still hold plenty of hesitation in today’s
transportation world, technology continues to advance at break-neck speeds, with
urban theorists already speculating how the widespread use of autonomous
vehicles could change our cities in quite spectacular ways.
In this video, we’re answering the question of how self-driving cars will transform
our cities. Before we jump to it, don’t forget to click the like button, share,
subscribe and press the notification bell for more updates.
The inevitable advent of autonomous vehicles being incorporated into our
everyday living is something that will certainly change the way we travel. And
with the new frontier in driving technology continuing to develop innovations
through better sensors, cameras, radar, and machine-learning that will soon take
drivers away from the wheel, the optimism and excitement towards newer
technologies that can break the mold is certainly at a high peak. Current estimates
show that all driving may become fully automated by 2050, and while that feels a
bit far away, the shift towards this happening is coming at a faster rate than ever
before. While this new trend is approaching, we can already see how it can affect
our lives, and transform the cities we live in.
Cleaner Air
One of the biggest aspects of autonomous vehicles affecting the way we live within
our urban environments, is how we can all benefit from much cleaner air. The
transport sector is estimated to be the source of nearly 30% of all emissions
responsible for global warming. Self-driven cars can reduce harmful emissions by
up to 60% as soon as it becomes adopted, according to a study by Ohio University.
This is because emissions mostly come from vehicles stuck in traffic congestion.
It’s expected that shifting to the new system can ease traffic congestion
significantly, with lesser privately driven cars out on the road. The shift to
autonomous vehicles, which are mostly all-electric, will be a major positive in the
fight against air pollution, curbing transport emissions and reducing our
dependence on fossil fuels entirely. This means we will all benefit from cleaner air,
and our cities will also be a lot cleaner without all the smog to tarnish it.
Lesser Congestion, Faster Travel, More Expansion It’s a well-known fact, that traffic contributes
to billions of time and resources being lost by commuters and travelers.
Self-driving cars are expected to alleviate this issue, by optimizing traffic flow,
reducing the number of overall vehicles
needed, and reduce cause for road concerns such as bottlenecks, stop-and-go traffic
situations, and typical driver to driver engagements like road rage that only adds to
traffic congestion. It’s estimated that when self-driving cars come into play, travel
time could be cut by as much as 40%, with less cars being out on the road due to
self-driving vehicle services and car sharing. Time saved away from traffic can
provide better productivity and boost economies in the overall. The improved flow
of traffic should make journeys in and out of cities much more efficient. Freeways
can be completely occupied by these autonomous vehicles, allowing speed limits
to increase or even be removed altogether, allowing faster travel than they do
today. This can provide quite the appeal towards commuting in general, which can
lead to the expansion of social and real estate options, with a higher interest in
residential spaces away from cities. Eliminating Parking Lots and Traffic Lights
A transformative aspect of autonomous vehicles, will be how existing systems and
structures will change due to the shift of our future mobility. A Harvard University
research showed that about one-third of ground level space in some cities are used
as parking lots. The advent of a self-driving fleet can reduce this required space by
up to 60%, as decreasing private car ownership shifting towards autonomous
services that allow people to simply get off by the curb, without the need for
parking. The land freed up by the removal of parking structures, can be reallocated
into housing, retail, parks and public open spaces. Smarter systems that will also be
implemented which facilitate the smooth movement of driverless cars could
drastically reduce the need for traffic lights on our roads, which would reduce the
regular stop and start, also significantly reducing vehicular emissions.
The Change of Retail In a world where malls,
outlet stores and retail centers are venues for convergence
within urban areas, incorporating driverless vehicles will change the way these
structures are formed. As the need for parking will surely reduce, large retail
centers, which are often sited within city outskirts to allow vast parking spaces,
could eventually be replaced by mixed-use complexes rich with civic life. Smaller
inner-city retail units may start to sprout, due to self-parking cars that eliminate the
need for on-street parking. These areas can provide more wide open spaces, such
as parks and lush greenery, which would completely be a better setting than typical
mall-setups. The Advent of Vehicular Architecture
With the transformation of total mobility, one of the bigger aspects as self-driving
cars are introduced, will be the opportunity of providing more time that we can
allot for better function. With the task of driving actual vehicles being rendered
obsolete, public transportation and mobility can be time spent being productive,
combining travel with other daily tasks, such as getting that video conference call
out of the way, or squeezing in some weight training as you transport to work, or
even take that power nap to invigorate your day. Through the innovative
technological systems that will make cars resemble moving architecture, with cars
communicating with each other to improve road safety, urban mobility is also
expected to shift, as roads will now transform into avenues of the future. The mass
adoption of self-driving vehicles is expected to provide rapid changes to the way
roads and other city infrastructures are built and maintained, as changes to public
transportation use, highways and roads will surely be different.
Autonomous Mobility Anytime Research show that vehicles in the US
are driven just 4% of the year, with a big waste of the average cost of car ownership
being nearly $9,000 annually. Self- driving cars can provide on-demand car options,
with sharing possibilities that can change our public commute,
making the sensible option of owning, or acquiring the services offered for a driverless electric
vehicle be more reasonable in today’s fast-paced world. Dynamic ridesharing
using autonomous vehicles will increase vehicle utilization up to 8 hours per day
and may mean 26 trips per vehicle instead of the 3 trips per day for a conventional car.
More utilization means less cars out on the road, with ridesharing becoming
the solution that can easily solve congestion and emission problems.
These developments have also ushered in newer business models, as the creation
of an entire new shared economy business, that can be tapped as an emerging market,
could push smart mobility quite seamlessly into our new society.
From changes in infrastructure to the transportation framework that will breathe
new life into our cities as we reduce roads, and even recapture streets for sidewalks
that can benefit more people-focused activities, the transformation of urban
environments due to the integration of driverless cars, is something as inevitable as
the technologies that are leading the innovation towards attaining these vehicles
themselves. What do you think about how self-driving
cars will transform our cities? We’d love to hear what you think. So comment below! Don’t
forget to like, share, subscribe and ring the notification bell
for more stories!