The horse race of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has shifted into a higher gear, with daily updates on advancements in speed, safety, and security—alongside the barriers that remain to be addressed. While the spotlight remains on vehicle technology, urban and interurban infrastructure will play a critical role at different stages. In the short term, attention will focus on the readiness of motorways and urban areas to safely accommodate AVs. The next stage will tackle the full integration of AVs into broader mobility infrastructures, emphasizing social considerations like equity and mobility poverty. Will disparities between rural and metropolitan areas grow wider? Finally, we will explore the long-term vision: how infrastructure innovations might redefine cities through changing vehicle usage. Will autonomous public transport and ride-hailing services outpace car-centric models, enabling a more democratic and inclusive urban design? The sessions aim to identify future challenges, posing key questions—some of which will find answers, while others remain open—fostering direct interaction with the audience.

Organiser:

• Marc Figuls, FACTUAL

Moderator 

• Lola Ortiz, Ayuntamiento de Madrid

Speakers:

• Tamara Djukic, ERTICO-ITS Europe
• Agostina Massarini, International Road Federation (IRF)
• William Riggs, University of San Francisco
• Christoph Stögerer, SWARCO AG