I am an urban planner specializing in helping cities harness the potential of automated vehicles.

Developers of automated vehicles have made impressive strides in recent years. As progressively more advanced automated vehicle technology emerges, how will it impact cities? The answer, of course, is that it depends on how we use the technology. The rise of vehicle automation will generate both utopian opportunities and dystopian risks. We might envision reaping benefits like safer roads, smoother traffic flows, and less land consumed by roads and parking, but if we fail to use the technology prudently, we could instead end up exacerbating the negative impacts of car dependence and worsening urban quality of life. I strive to provide both a critical perspective and an aspirational, achievable vision of how we can strategically exploit the technologies to improve urban mobility and create more liveable, sustainable cities.

I have been immersed in this topic since 2013 when I worked with the transport agencies TransLink in Vancouver and Metrolinx in Toronto to conduct some of the first research in Canada on the impending urban impacts of automated vehicles. Through my work with these groups and others, including the City of Edmonton and the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, I have endeavoured to provide a carefully researched, nuanced perspective that goes beyond both superficial techno-optimism and techno-skepticism. I have given talks at conferences and organizations from Vancouver to Barcelona, and have written on vehicle automation for publications such as the Detroit News, Undark.org, Planetizen.com, and HumanTransit.org. I hold a Master of Urban Planning degree from McGill University.

If your organization is seeking advice, research, or a talk on automated vehicles and their implications for transportation planning and urban planning, you can reach me at antonio@antonioloro.com.