Thinking of the city as a corporation whereby the council serves as a board of directors, setting strategic direction, and ensuring its vision is implemented by city staff is the philosophy of the city of Chandler, Arizona. In the above interview, councilmember Mark Stewart indicates that a big part of its success is its focus on providing core services, such as water, roads, and parks. that is defined in its charter.
One of the elements of its brand is innovation. This stems from its founding by Dr. A.J. Chandler in 1912 and his innovative use of irrigation to turn the desert into a town.
Their innovative focus continues today and is split into six categories, community safety, connectivity, economic vitality, neighborhoods, quality of life, and sustainability & technology. The above interview focuses on connectivity, specifically around the movement of Chandler citizens.
Stewart talks about how they are using micro-transit to cost-effectively provide rides to those who need rides. Autonomous vehicles, from the likes of Waymo, are also making a difference and helping people get around Chandler and now, the larger Phoenix metro area.
As a pioneering community for commercial autonomous vehicle service, the most remarkable thing is that, according to Stewart, residents don’t even notice the driverless vehicles anymore.
As Professor Kornhauser, the organizer of the 6th Annual SmartDrivingCars Summit where the above interview was filmed, has often stated, AV success will be measured when it becomes part of the everyday fabric as it appears to have become in Chandler.
