At the same time, the entire continent is finally pushing back on that 1-hour commute. People are returning to cities, transit and infill and dense construction are becoming political issues, etc. Part of the impetus for this re-urbanization is the misery of commute.

Beyond commuting woes, density is also more efficient for providing services and for environmental concerns.

So I'm slightly worried that a move towards self-driving cars will allow us to backslide on this progress. Obviously I want the technology - it will be safer, more efficient, and healthier - but I'm worried about how culture could shift around it.