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Urban Air Mobility: Opportunities and Obstacles

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  • Cohen, Adam
  • Shaheen, Susan

Abstract

Urban Air Mobility (UAM, also known as advanced air mobility) is an emerging concept that envisions a safe, sustainable, affordable, and accessible air transportation system for emergency management, cargo delivery, and passenger mobility within or traversing a metropolitan area. While numerous societal concerns have been raised about these approaches (e.g., privacy, safety, security, social equity), on-demand aviation has the potential to provide options for emergency services, goods delivery, and passenger mobility in urban and rural areas using small piloted and autonomous aircraft. This chapter provides a short overview of developments in on-demand aviation and a discussion of the potential impacts and challenges of UAM on communities. Potential challenges include safety, financial, and community acceptance, among others. Research that seeks to understand the potential societal barriers can help to identify challenges and mitigate potential UAM concerns. Research on the potential impacts of UAM, coupled with thoughtful planning and implementation, are needed to balance commercial interests, technology innovation, and the public good.

Suggested Citation

  • Cohen, Adam & Shaheen, Susan, 2021. "Urban Air Mobility: Opportunities and Obstacles," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt0r23p1gm, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt0r23p1gm
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    File URL: https://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0r23p1gm.pdf;origin=repeccitec
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shaheen, Susan & Cohen, Adam & Broader, Jacquelyn & Davis, Richard & Brown, Les & Neelakantan, Radha & Gopalakrishna, Deepak, 2020. "Mobility on Demand Planning and Implementation: Current Practices, Innovations, and Emerging Mobility Futures," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt3hc6m2vj, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    2. Reiche, Colleen PhD & Goyal, Rohit & Cohen, Adam & Serrao, Jacqueline & Kimmel, Shawn PhD & Fernando, Chris & Shaheen, Susan PhD, 2018. "Urban Air Mobility Market Study," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt0fz0x1s2, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    3. Cohen, Adam & Guan, Justin & Beamer, Matthew & Dittoe, Ryan & Mokhtarimousavi, Seyedmirsajad, 2020. "Reimagining the Future of Transportation with Personal Flight: Preparing and Planning for Urban Air Mobility," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt9hs209r2, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    4. Reiche, Colleen PhD & Brody, Frank & McGillen, Christian & Siegel, Joel & Cohen, Adam, 2018. "An Assessment of the Potential Weather Barriers of Urban Air Mobility (UAM)," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt2pc8b4wt, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    5. Akshat Kasliwal & Noah J. Furbush & James H. Gawron & James R. McBride & Timothy J. Wallington & Robert D. De Kleine & Hyung Chul Kim & Gregory A. Keoleian, 2019. "Role of flying cars in sustainable mobility," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pons-Prats, Jordi & Živojinović, Tanja & Kuljanin, Jovana, 2022. "On the understanding of the current status of urban air mobility development and its future prospects: Commuting in a flying vehicle as a new paradigm," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    2. Perez, Daniel & Zou, Bo & Farazi, Nahid Parvez, 2025. "Package delivery by electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft? An attractiveness assessment," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    3. Zhao, Ying & Feng, Tao, 2025. "Commuter choice of UAM-friendly neighborhoods," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    4. Lee, Changju & Bae, Bumjoon & Lee, Yu Lim & Pak, Tae-Young, 2023. "Societal acceptance of urban air mobility based on the technology adoption framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    5. Annitsa Koumoutsidi & Ioanna Pagoni & Amalia Polydoropoulou, 2022. "A New Mobility Era: Stakeholders’ Insights regarding Urban Air Mobility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Cohen, Adam MS & Shaheen, Susan PhD, 2024. "Advanced Air Mobility: Opportunities, Challenges, and Research needsfor the State of California (2023-2030)," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt0656t0dh, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.

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