Autonomous vehicles are no longer perpetually “five years away.” They are here now. Planners must act now to ensure they don’t degrade city life.

I don’t know if AV’s are going to be good for the soul. I suppose they’re not going to be any worse than regular cars are. But, I do know what is better than regular cars: an attractive, lively, diverse city. As humanity surrenders itself to yet another technological revolution, good planning in center cities becomes increasingly urgent. That ping you hear from the Waymo app: it’s a call to arms.