The automobile and its required infrastructure has long dominated the suburban landscape, resulting in a place designed for cars rather than the person. Wide streets and driveways pervade residential areas, while expansive roads and parking lots saturate commercial areas. While these elements allow for independent and convenient automotive transportation, they isolate homes and buildings from one another. Current road infrastructure utilizes valuable land that could be devoted to more beneficial purposes. The current suburban environment is operative for living and working, but it lacks the connective, economic, and environmental health that it needs to thrive.

The present age is witnessing the emergence of a new form of transportation: the full self-driving vehicle, or automated vehicle (AV). As the automobile has had such a large impact on suburban design and experience, a new shift in transportation norms is sure to transform the suburban landscape.

The following sections outline the history and future of transportation in the suburbs, specifically focusing on how transport shapes the built environment. The sections illustrate that the upcoming shift to AV has the opportunity to profoundly improve the suburban environment, creating a prosperous place designed for the person rather than the car.