Local governments play an important role in urban transportation through street management, land-use zoning, right-of-way apportionment, and often shared jurisdiction over ride-hailing, transit, and road pricing. Cities thus can develop important policies that shape new technologies, such as autonomous vehicles (AVs). Yet we know little about what urban officials think about making AV-related policy changes.
In this presentation, I will consider municipal preparation for AVs from several different angles. First, how do US locals perceive the feasibility of enacting AV regulations deemed best practices? Second, how does the feasibility of their enactment change over time? And finally, how does this compare with efforts and perceptions in the international sphere, with a particular emphasis on Paris, France.
Anne Hudson, MIT Urban Studies & Planning and Science in Transportation
Annie is a dual-degree masters student in MIT’s Urban Studies & Planning and Science in Transportation departments. Her research focuses on city planning for autonomous vehicles. Prior to her time at MIT, she worked for several years as an energy policy analyst and researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, honing an expertise on energy transitions in Europe as well as ‘frontier’ energy innovations. Following her time in DC, she spent several years in Seattle where she worked in communications for a wide variety of urban mobility clients, ranging from car-sharing company Zipcar to bike-sharing company Zagster. She received her bachelors in world politics and German literature from Hamilton College. Annie is currently a fellow with the MIT Automated Mobility Policy Project.
