Planning the transition to autonomous driving: A policy pathway towards urban liveability

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to flood urban roads in the next future. Despite the optimism of the automotive industry and technology enthusiasts, AVs may have undesired impacts on urban liveability, especially if their diffusion is let to the market and not governed by public administrations. The door-to-door service they could provide and wider access to individual car trips can lead to an increase of short intra-urban car trips, to the detriment of public transport and active mobility. With few exceptions, the attitude of local authorities is dominated by a laissez-faire approach. The difficulty of dealing with high degrees of uncertainty and the absence of clear ideas on desirable visions are among the main reasons for this policy inaction. As a result of a collaborative backcasting process, this paper presents a vision to 2050, grounded on the extensive application of the superblock model, and the policy pathway to steer the transition to autonomous driving towards liveability and sustainability of the city. Governing the transition to AVs towards a desired vision is a complex process, that requires immediate action, farsighted planning and the cooperation of various sectors.