Autonomous Vehicles set to Alter Urban Landscapes in the United States
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are revolutionizing the way we commute, and their impact on the built environment is already being felt across the United States.
The advent of AVs marks a significant transportation paradigm shift, with mass adoption expected to come faster than anyone anticipated. Cities like Phoenix (Arizona), San Francisco (California), and Austin (Texas) are pioneers in this field, having already introduced autonomous vehicle services like Waymo. More than 3 million Teslas equipped with "Full Self-Driving" technology are currently on American roads.
The core appeal of AVs for motorists is the promise of freeing up time in the car for productivity. This could potentially expand the suburban frontier, bringing new exurban and rural land within the redrawn commuter-shed.
The story of AVs is not a new one. As early as the turn of the twentieth century, electric streetcars were a common feature of American city life. New York, for instance, had built more than 1,300 miles of streetcar track and carried more riders than London, Paris, Berlin, and Vienna combined. However, the automobile, which went into mass production in the 1910s, ended the electric streetcar's urban reign within 40 years.
Historically, the United States has been an early adopter of transportation improvements. Industrialization introduced trains, streetcars, and automobiles, reshaping the built environment by enabling faster movement. Railroads allowed for the creation of the first true suburbs, separating work from home, and towns like West Cambridge, Massachusetts, marketed themselves as offering a quiet life with an easy train commute to Boston.
Kenneth T. Jackson, in his 1985 book "Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States," argued that transportation technology is the primary force shaping our settlements. His work focused on the impact of transportation technology on the physical form of human settlements.
After World War II, the automobile became America's dominant mode of transportation, with the interstate highway system and car-dependent suburbs becoming integral to the American way of life. Cities have had a mixed experience with the automobile, with some early detractors raising objections to cars in an urban context.
By the mid-nineteenth century, electric streetcars, horse-drawn rail cars, and cable cars transformed life within cities by the end of the 19th century. Today, AVs, with features like lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control, are common, and fully autonomous rides are available in select cities.
As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how AVs continue to reshape our cities and suburbs. One thing is certain: transportation technology will continue to play a crucial role in shaping our settlements.
In June 2021, a significant milestone was reached when a Tesla Model Y delivered itself from a factory in Texas to its new owner's home, symbolizing the potential future of autonomous vehicle delivery services.
In conclusion, the evolution of transportation technology, from electric streetcars to AVs, has significantly impacted the built environment of the United States. As AVs become more common, we can expect to see further changes in the way we live, work, and commute.
