Suburban Office Parks Increasingly Obsolete; Businesses Choose Walkable Areas

Re:Suburban Office Parks Increasingly Obsolete; Businesses C... by seanmcdirmid on Tuesday December 22, 2015 @07:11AM (#10777251)

Self-driving cars can optimize limited road infrastructure. Of course, this means ALL cars would have to be in on it, but that isn't infeasible for 10 or 20 years from now.

So I kind of agree with parent. Doing something today might be outdated given tomorrow's technology enabling better solutions. But that is always a risk in infrastructure investment.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Suburban Office Parks Increasingly Obsolete; Businesses C... by jschwartzi on Tuesday December 22, 2015 @09:50AM (#10778006)

Why not just never improve anything, ever? I mean we might have self-driving cars in 20 years, but another 20 after that there will be something even better than self-driving cars, and who wants to own something that will be obsolete in 20 years, anyway?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Suburban Office Parks Increasingly Obsolete; Businesses C... by seanmcdirmid on Tuesday December 22, 2015 @12:48PM (#10779118)

We will have self driving cars in 3 to 5 years at this point...the writing is on the wall. We will have pervasive self driving cars in 10 or 20 years.

So to ignore something that is pretty much a sure bet to redesign your city over 20 years, when what you are building is meant to last 50-100 years, is kind of stupid. You do what you can with all information available.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Suburban Office Parks Increasingly Obsolete; Businesses C... by Johnny555 on Tuesday December 22, 2015 @01:12PM (#10779289)

I think you're overly optimistic with that estimate -- we'll have "driver assist" cars in 3 - 5 years that can navigate most roads in normal conditions, but will still need the driver to step in from time to time to help with unexpected conditions.

10 - 20 years is more likely for true self-driving cars that can operate completely without human control.

[ Parent | on HN ]