Justin Robbins

Justin Robbins, AICP

Automated and Connected Vehicle Transportation Planner

"I’m a student of cities — their form and function, how they shape their citizens and, in the end, how those citizens shape their cities. Cities are the ultimate expression of human culture. Transportation and cities are inseparable; one cannot function without the other. With the emergence of automated and connected transportation we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape not only how we relate to our cities, but also how we shape our culture."

As a certified city planner, Justin Robbins researches and lays the groundwork for autonomous vehicles to move people safely and efficiently across cities and regions. Justin defines AVs as a "game changer" for urban transportation — if done properly — and works with clients to bridge the gap between the planning and technology worlds. He believes that AVs can help create density in ways that haven’t been possible since the advent of the automobile, marking a massive change in how our cities are structured and function.

Recently, Justin put his theories into practice on an HDR project for downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. He helped design the framework for the eventual deployment of autonomous microshuttles within a mixed traffic situation — one of the largest deployment plans currently in development in the U.S.

Justin’s passion for AV technology led him to cofound the Urban Mobility Research Center as a way to link up city planners, transportation industry experts and communities across the nation. The center’s goal is to promote better insight on the impact of autonomous and connected vehicles, and how “Smart Cities” can start planning ahead to integrate AVs within walkable urban landscapes.

Dedicated to promoting AV expertise throughout the industry, Justin is a member of the American Planning Association. He is also an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater, The Ohio State University, and teaches a graduate level class on urban design.