Over
the years it seems that there is always something on the horizon that is going
to solve all our urban design problems. In the early 1900’s the implementation
of zoning ordinances was supposed to be the magic bullet that would solve the difficulties
facing cities at the time. Then there were highways, exclusionary zoning, easy
to get mortgages, urban renewal, and pedestrian malls among others that were
all going to solve our urban problems. Today we know from history that while
each of these things had their benefits, they also came with unintended
consequences and in the long run did not solve our urban problems. Today we
have a new magic bullet on the horizon that many feel is going to revolutionize
the world and solve all of our urban problems – the autonomous car.
Autonomous
cars could have a major effect on our cities but maybe not in the way many
people think they will. My first planning professor had a favorite saying, “What
do we know about the future…nothing” and when it comes to autonomous cars there
are those that believe that the adoption of autonomous cars will revolutionize
our cities for the better. But as with all technological advances there comes a
cost and what the final cost will be we will not know for some time. In
addition, the changes we see will be different than envisioned and like so many
of the magic bullets from the past, the unintended consequences may be more
severe than we expect.
