As robotaxis hit London’s streets and drones reshape how we survey our heritage, the planning system risks being left behind An Article By: Shoshannah Rowland-Stone, Planner, Boyer (London & South East) Feature Provided By: PNPR London has long prided itself on being a city that’s bold, adaptive and forward-thinking. However, as autonomous vehicles edge towards our streets and drones reshape how we see our built environment, is our planning system keeping pace with the technology arriving at its doorstep? Driverless cars: from San Francisco to the streets of London London is set to become one of the first European cities to host a commercial robotaxi service. Waymo – owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. and making its first commercial venture outside the US – has confirmed plans to open its service to riders in London, with full commercial operations targeted for the end of 2026. Around 24 of its Jaguar I-PACE vehicles are already gathering data across 19 London boroughs. Just last week, I passed one of these vehicles navigating Tower Bridge Road, a sign that the mapping and data-gathering phase is well underway. Subject to regulatory approval, Londoners will be able to hail a fully driverless cab through … Continue reading Who’s Driving Planning Policy?