One of the public policy goals for livable and sustainable communities is to minimize the use of automobiles. This paper focuses on introducing and justifying an important new policy principle. Even when car travel is minimized with smart growth land development policies, transportation demand management, and increased public transit, a significant level of automobile use will remain. As a result, reducing the environmental, economic and safety impacts of those remaining automobiles should be an essential element of a livable, sustainable community. Fortunately, fundamental and disruptive technological advances in new vehicles—automation, connectivity, and electrification as described in this paper are fast emerging to make this new priority feasible.

Key findings

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New vehicle technology may lead to the changing in the definitely of "Livability," expanding it to include safer, cleaner, more comfortable forms of motorized transportation.

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The expansion of clean, safe cars is essential to the context of livability and sustainability.

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