Cities Will Change When Cars Drive Themselves

The question is how. What will become of all those parking places?

Where will it park? Or ... will it ever park?

Photographer: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
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Self-driving cars got a green light from the U.S. government this week, but still have their own challenges: erratic human drivers, compromised visibility, unexpected route changes. Here's one they won't face until they catch on: zoning.

As soon as self-driving cars are readily available, proponents will run into political battles over land use, a challenge familiar to urbanism advocates.