Participatory Planning in Designing Autonomous Mobility Systems: A Design Thinking Approach

Abstract

The adoption of participatory planning approaches in the deployment of new mobility solutions is rare. In this study, we conducted a community-based planning exercise using design thinking approaches to engage residents in co-creating an Autonomous Mobility System (AMS) for their neighborhood in Singapore. Through this process, a baseline understanding of participants’ attitude toward autonomous vehicles (AVs) was established, along with understanding the residents’ travel patterns and challenges. A co-creation activity guided participants to design their ideal AMS for the local community living in the Punggol residential district in Singapore. The exercise resulted in 20 unique designs of AMS, producing novel ideas such as suitable AV-holding areas and service zones. The results of the design activities provided insights into community-level priority and values. For AMS, providing alternative transport options that complemented existing train and bus services was the priority. As participants co-designed an AMS that fitted their needs as well as the needs of other participants, the designs also suggested that participants valued transport equity and accessibility, especially for the marginalized population, highlighting the importance of a human-centric design approach to transportation planning.