A master thesis from Aalborg University
Planning in the Face of Technological Innovation: A Case Study of the San Francisco Bay Area's Handling of Autonomous Vehicles
[Planlægning inden for teknologisk innovation: En case study af San Francisco Bay Area's håndtering af autonome køretøjer]
Author(s)
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-07
Pages
82 pages
Abstract
Autonomous vehicles of varying levels are already a reality for several major U.S. cities. This technology has implications of an economic, ethical, and environmental nature, and will likely disrupt the landscape of city and regional transportation planning processes for years to come. This report builds upon existing literature on the predicted ramifications of autonomous vehicles to identify similarities and discrepancies between autonomous vehicle-related transportation planning documents for the San Francisco Bay Area and the personal perceptions of planners themselves. This is done via document and interview analyses, based on publicly available planning documents and the interviewing of four Bay Area planning professionals. The research problem and its findings are framed with the theory on the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions, as a way of understanding how a technological change comes about in society, particularly a technology which disrupts the current stable regime of the gas-powered automobile. The results of this study show that of the planning documents that cover autonomous vehicles, the content is predominantly in line with the viewpoints of the planners, most evidently on the themes of autonomous vehicle technology itself and its potential impacts on social equity and public transit. The future stable regime of a new smart and sustainable mobility paradigm can be one of an equitable, safe, efficient, and streamlined transportation system that leverages ICT to achieve regional goals, driven by a shift in the landscape that is sparked by the autonomous vehicle. In this new paradigm, it will not be the gas-powered automobile which characterizes the stable regime, but it will likely not be characterized by the autonomous vehicle either - rather, the autonomous vehicle must be but one well-functioning part of a revitalized entire transportation network.
Keywords
Documents
Colophon: This page is part of the AAU Student Projects portal, which is run by Aalborg University. Here, you can find and download publicly available bachelor's theses and master's projects from across the university dating from 2008 onwards. Student projects from before 2008 are available in printed form at Aalborg University Library.
If you have any questions about AAU Student Projects or the research registration, dissemination and analysis at Aalborg University, please feel free to contact the VBN team. You can also find more information in the AAU Student Projects FAQs.