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

Brovarone, Elisabetta Vitale; Scudellari, Jacopo; Staricco, Luca

doi:10.1016/j.cities.2020.102996

Cited by 35 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Indeed, while syntactic properties of superblocks were recently studied [16,19], and so were route directness, walking sheds, and betweenness centrality [17,18], the evaluation of route distance and diversity add new information to the ongoing research on superblocks. Further, current discussions about the use of superblocks in Chinese cities [62], as well as the study of the adaptation of Cerda's plan in Barcelona to accommodate sustainable mobility modes by aggregating several blocks into superblocks [63,64], highlight the ongoing need to better understand superblocks as a well-established urban planning strategy. The study of Middle Eastern cities' superblocks and their connectivity contributes to this global discussion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity in Superblock Street Networks: Measuring Distance, Directness, and the Diversity of Pedestrian Paths

Scoppa

Anabtawi

2021

Sustainability

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Superblocks are a common urban development strategy used in cities of the United Arab Emirates and the larger Gulf region. In planning new neighborhoods, these cities utilize superblocks structured using various street network designs. Despite their key role in shaping its main transportation network, the connectivity of these designs has not been frequently studied. This paper addresses this research gap, analyzing ten different superblock designs, and focusing on their internal and external connectivity properties. Internal connectivity is studied by measuring connections between plots in the superblocks. External connectivity is measured from plots to the superblocks’ corners, the points from which to access surrounding areas. Connectivity is measured in terms of distance, directness, and route diversity. The results show that strong similarities exist across the studied designs, particularly in terms of travel distances. Differences are found in terms of efficiency and, most notably, route diversity. Findings are discussed in relation to walkability, the costs associated to each design given network length variations, and the importance of creating rich and diverse street systems that support open-ended exploration. While based on a sample of ideal cases and in need of validation with built cases, this paper outlines a method by which to evaluate and compare superblock network design alternatives.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity in Superblock Street Networks: Measuring Distance, Directness, and the Diversity of Pedestrian Paths

Scoppa

Anabtawi

2021

Sustainability

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“…One of these new urban models are the superblocks launched in Barcelona (Spain), whose aim is to group adjacent blocks into a superblock (400 m × 400 m) defined by perimeter streets where vehicles circulate, and whose internal space is freed for other uses, such as green areas and small squares and playgrounds [37]. Superblocks are also envisaged in academic studies of other cities such as Turin (Italy), where a collaborative backcasting methodology has been developed to define a roadmap to help the public administration guide the introduction of AV towards the desired superblock vision [38].…”

Section: Urban Public Space and Mobilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomous Mobility: A Potential Opportunity to Reclaim Public Spaces for People

2022

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The advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has the potential to drastically change society and the way we understand, plan and design cities and regions, just as automobiles did a century ago. In the current context of climate change, sustainable urban environments based on active mobility (walking and cycling), urban proximity and green spaces, are increasingly in demand, leading to the emergence of new interventions and urban models. Although these trends may be affected by the arrival of AVs, most decision-makers and planners still do not address these issues in their current planning. This is because of the confusion associated with the diversity of impacts of AVs, but also by the lack of design recommendations and planning tools. To shed light on these aspects, this paper reviews the relationship between mobility and urban public space, the impacts of AVs on urban space and design proposals and strategies aimed at configuring driverless cities, with special focus on street design. The results of the review show that the implementation of AVs can be a great opportunity to liberate urban space and reclaim it for people, in line with new urban models such as the superblocks (Barcelona), the 15-minute city (Paris), or tactical urbanism interventions against COVID-19. However, it may also entail risks such as a reduction in active mobility or public transport use. The magnitude and direction of these impacts will depend on crucial decisions that need to be taken now, such as encouraging shared used over ownership, and establishing citizen-centred urban planning and design objectives and strategies to make AV deployment the most beneficial for all.

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“…In addition to the noise of cars, you can hear the laughter of children, get some fresh air instead of polluting smog. Additional measures are required for this purpose: Increasing the number of bus lanes, as well as bike and scooter paths [48,49].…”

Section: Pedestrian Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The proposal specifically expects a garden city with access to small parks and green spaces on both sides of each low-rise block. Most of the blocks were raised to a uniform height of eight floors [49].…”

Section: Residential Clustermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Resilience of Egyptian Cities against Health Crises 'Egyptian Pandemic City Tool'

Mostafa¹,

El-Barmelgy²,

Shawky³

2022

cea

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

Cited by 35 publications

References 70 publications

Connectivity in Superblock Street Networks: Measuring Distance, Directness, and the Diversity of Pedestrian Paths

Connectivity in Superblock Street Networks: Measuring Distance, Directness, and the Diversity of Pedestrian Paths

Autonomous Mobility: A Potential Opportunity to Reclaim Public Spaces for People

The Resilience of Egyptian Cities against Health Crises 'Egyptian Pandemic City Tool'

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