Automated and Zero Emission Vehicles – How They Might Reshape Our Streets

Project team: Ethos Urban and Urban Circus

2019 AUDA jury comment

This innovative project critically examines how autonomous and zero emission vehicles might reshape city form and function. In addition to assessing the impact of these vehicles on other road users, the research highlights major opportunities stemming from the use of these vehicles, including reduced parking, increased public space, new development forms, reduced vehicle emissions, urban greening and shared lanes for automated vehicles and public transport. The jury was impressed with the project’s supporting urban design analysis and how the potential benefits of different scenarios and their associated “trade-offs” were presented to reach a wider audience. The project raises awareness of the urban design impacts of this emerging technology and has important implications for the land-use planning and transport policy decisions that will need to be made to ensure that the claimed community benefits of the technology are realized.

Client Infrastructure Victoria Project manager Urban Circus Urban designer Ethos Urban Images Urban Circus and Ethos Urban