This paper draws on design research exploring detailed scenarios for driverless cars as primary access to suburban rail stations in Melbourne. The findings question the extent to which walkable urbanism is likely to result in a driverless future.

The recently released strategic plan, Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 forecasts a metropolitan population of 8 million. The city’s western suburbs will take a large proportion of this growth, with a further 625,000 projected residents. Despite such projections, no substantial changes to the public transport network are proposed beyond currently committed projects. Many initiatives proposed in PTV’s...

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has made clear his enthusiasm for an airport rail line, with or without state government support. Beyond airport access, this proposal highlights the potential for rail projects to shape Melbourne and feed an integrated public transport system that could serve its growing population.