The Road Ahead: Reimagining Mobility

We are at an inflection point. This moment is not dissimilar to when we embraced the horseless carriage at the turn of the 20th century, which forever changed how we move people, goods, and services. The works presented here are meant to be catalysts for conversations about how we might live in the future. They raise questions of how we will share our streets, and how we will move people, move goods, and even move less sometimes—if that is the better option.

Over a century since the automobile's invention, urban gridlock has become intolerable worldwide, and transportation has emerged as the country's number-one source of carbon pollution. At the same time, the rapid convergence of data and technological innovations is making transportation safer, more efficient, and increasingly customized to our on-demand needs. Ridesharing and self-driving cars and trucks are part of this story, and, along with electric vehicles, will significantly alter the ways we use land, configure our streets, and manage congestion. Cities could become less noisy, more pedestrian focused, and bicycle friendly. With e-commerce transforming buying habits and door-to-door deliveries, the efficient management of freight transport is needed now more than ever.

While no one really knows where these mobility transformations will take us, this particular juncture offers profound design opportunities. How might we evolve more equitable and accessible mobility options that benefit everyone? It's time to imagine connected systems in aspirational ways that truly address how we want to move and where we want to go.