In December 2016, Elon Musk, frustrated with traffic, tweeted his plan to dig a tunnel: “Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.” Musk vowed to revolutionize city travel with tunnels moving autonomous cars. His fans were thrilled. What could be more exciting than a renowned inventor tackling a major urban problem? The tech billionaire and his “Boring Company” promised a convenient and accessible system, with numerous entry and exit points integrated into the urban landscape.
Sounds familiar? To many it reminded a metro system, but an inferior one: investing a lot in tunnels that move very few people in Tesla cars. The first project, the “Loop” in Vegas, promised a capacity of only 10% of a traditional metro, which is a century old technology. Nonetheless, the government insisted on investing in this project.
Six years and $53 million later, we now have a proven built version of Musk’s “genius”: a system that moves very few people, and requires drivers for each car that can carry only a couple of people. And the promise for self-driving cars? The Boring Company no longer mentions it on their website. It’s laughable, because new metro systems - from Denmark to India - are driverless.
Less than a year after his tunnel opened, Musk tweeted, “Defeating traffic is the ultimate boss battle. Even the most powerful humans in the world cannot defeat traffic.” His acknowledgment of failure hasn't stopped him from promoting his tunnel concept to cities. Cities are buying in, lured by the promise of a quick fix from a charismatic, wealthy man.
The Loop saga is another costly misstep in urban mobility. While the public money spent is irretrievable, we can still glean lessons from it. First, it is an important lesson for tech enthusiasts who are sure they can solve the world’s problems with the right line of code. It's just not that simple. Second, it’s another reminder that we actually already know how to transport large numbers of people in cities. The necessary technology has existed for decades. Constructing adequate sidewalks, secure bike lanes, and effective transit systems isn’t rocket science.
However, making these modes of transport thrive requires more than tech. We need to halt the creation of single-purpose, low-density neighborhoods. We need to inject more greenery into existing cities, build more apartments, and replace car infrastructure with other urban utilities. Sustainable mobility thrives on density and a mix of uses, in places where people feel safe and comfortable moving on foot.
For Musk it seems like the ‘ultimate boss battle’, but for many urbanists it's an achievable goal, especially if the tech-focused minds will join them. And by this, I call to all the bright minds in the world of technology and mobility to join forces. We truly need every bit of human creativity and teamwork to make our cities more sustainable.
Have a great weekend,
Lior
"The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men,
but that men will begin to think like computers."
- Sydney Harris
🌎 From the world. Our friends at UrbanistAI have been developing a generative AI platform for participatory planning that provides immediate visualizations and facilitates the co-design of ideas through pictures. This approach speeds up the participation process and reduces costs. Humankind is currently working on a new collaboration with UrbanistAI. Interested in using AI to reimagine your city? Let us know.
🚲 From the Netherlands. Did you know that Amsterdam has printed a 3D pedestrian bridge? It was fabricated from stainless steel rods by six-axis robotic arms equipped with welding gear. Designed by Joris Laarman, the bridge is located in Amsterdam's Red Light District.
🧡 From Humankind. Last week, the viral tool Dutch Cycling Lifestyle won a Dutch Interactive Award (AI applications category) and came second in the ‘Digital for Good’ category. We loved working on this tool with Frank Kwanten, Vincent Luyendijk, Jeroen Boot, Norday, and the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions. The tool is about to become open-source.
📚 Dive Deeper. “Working with a technology with the potential to transform society, it becomes more clear every day that diverse perspectives, competencies and backgrounds are needed.” - Johanna Bergman, Head of Strategic Initiatives at AI Sweden.
Women in AI (WAI) is a non-profit, community-driven initiative bringing awareness and knowledge through education, events, and blogging.
🤩 So beautiful. Midjourney Gallery on Instagram shares visual content bursting with creativity and storytelling.
Want to learn more about cycling in the Netherlands? We are hosting a masterclass on September 18 - 20, 2024 in Rotterdam, Delft & Amsterdam.
Designing the Cycling City – The Masterclass is a crash course in bicycle urbanism. Through a combination of presentations, lectures by well-known practitioners and researchers, cycling tours and practical sessions, this Masterclass takes the participants through a deep dive into the Dutch approach to cycling urbanism – arguably one of the most successful in the world.