Event Description

Learn about the future as autonomous vehicles, expected to help create a global transportation revolution, similar to the one created when the first automobiles replaced the horse and buggy.

Most cities have been been built to accommodate the single occupancy vehicle (SOV) and the people that drive them. Wide streets, low density development, vast parking lots, segregated land uses and the resultant congestion that is inevitable when people must drive everywhere between where they work, live and shop.

It is estimated that self-driving autonomous vehicles, when fully adopted, will reduce traffic congestion by 80 percent and increase green space in cities by 30 percent, as road lanes and parking spaces are taken out of service. What will our cities look like and how can we begin to adapt to this "disruptive" technology?

Smart cars, smart cities and smart planning will drive the "design of the cities of the future." As with any "disruptive" change, there will be huge problems but also unimaginable opportunities.

Albuquerque as a western city, where the "automobile is king", has an opportunity to get out ahead of the curve and begin making smart decisions regarding land use, zoning and infrastructure investments in order to truly become a 21st Century city. The future is right around the corner and it is going to be driven by driverless cars.