Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve experienced some very obvious changes to our patterns of transport and movement. The rise in home working has contributed to fewer vehicles on the road and ‘flattened’ peaks at rush hour. In many cities, streets have been taken away from the car and given to pedestrians and non-motorised traffic; spaces have been used and enjoyed in ways not previously possible.

Alongside the pandemic, the digital revolution is likely to result in further significant changes to our travel patterns and lifestyle. The introduction of fully driverless vehicles – now considered to be inevitable with predictions for mass production starting from as early as next year – together with other technological advances such as drones, have far-reaching implications for the future planning and design of new development.

Residential development

The recent White Paper, Planning for the Future, reiterates the need to deliver ‘beautiful places’, and encourages a much greater focus on design (see Savills response to the Planning White Paper: Planning for the Future). Self-drive cars could provide an opportunity to help achieve these aspirations. 

With truly driverless cars, there is the opportunity for rigid highway and parking standards – so influential in the masterplanning of places over recent years – to be reduced and in some instances possibly put aside. There’s potential to reduce vehicular sight lines, allowing trees, landscaping and other structures to be placed in locations previously considered contrary to highway safety.  

Privately owned autonomous vehicles (AVs) would no longer need to be parked in front of houses, dominating the streetscene. Instead they could park themselves in more discretely designed areas, after dropping their owners at the front door. And if people move towards public rather than private car ownership, eventually there may be no need for any designated parking within newly designed neighbourhoods.

With self-drive cars automatically programmed to respond appropriately to the surroundings, there may be additional confidence and appetite for the inclusion of the ‘home zone’ concept into a greater number of residential areas.

All these changes could create opportunities for better placemaking in the form of larger gardens, landscaping and the reclamation of streets, with a focus on pedestrian and cycle movement routes. All of these measures would contribute to an enhanced sense of place, enabling the concept of ‘sustainable and beautiful’ places with a community feel to be a step closer to reality.

Town centres

Partly as a result of the pandemic and additional take-up in online retailing alongside recent government amendments to the Planning System (see Re:Imagining Retail), there has been speculation over the changing role of the town centre. The emergence of driverless vehicles could act as a further catalyst for change. Potentially, the size of retail units on higher value land could be reduced to focus solely on the display of items for those still wanting the experience of ‘going shopping’. Goods could be relocated to premises away from the town centre on lower value land, transported upon request to a given location.

And what about town centre car parks?  Privately owned driverless vehicles could return home rather than clocking up often significant parking charges, and publically owned vehicles could return to the road network to collect their next customer.

Overall, reduced retail requirements and potentially redundant car parks raise questions about future potential opportunities for these premises.

Industrial and logistics development

A growing appreciation of the role that AVs and drones could play in the supply chains of the future, with increased understanding of the application for drones, especially beyond parcel delivery, could start to become a factor in the design and location of distribution centres. 

We may see drones and AVs become more dominant in last mile deliveries and, as drone flight paths become busier (and potentially noisier) additional consideration may be required in terms of the relationship with residential development. Where to build drop-off zones for goods will also need to be factored in. 

However, with technological advancements as well as the potential to improve traffic flows and reduce fuel consumption there is scope for increased flexibility in the location of distribution centres. 

For all forms of development, an understanding of this emerging technology and implications for specific land uses is critical to ensure tomorrow’s opportunities are not missed today. 

Further information

Contact Julia Mountford

Contact Savills Planning

Real Estate Insights Podcast: A tech revolution - the implications for development and design