Industry Pulse: Autonomous Taxi Boats Could Be Your New Mode of Transportation
Welcome back! This month, we’ve curated a collection of articles to keep you informed. We stay on top of what’s new and handpick the highlights so you don’t have to.
Rivers or roads? Autonomous taxi boats could be your new mode of transportation
Source: Seymourpowell
Orb is an autonomous, pod-like water taxi concept designed by Seymourpowell. Intended for dense cities like London or Amsterdam, Orb aims to reintegrate rivers and canals for public transportation and leisure travel. An Orb boat seats 6 passengers, making water travel more accessible than ferries, which require large land-based infrastructure and big vessels.
The system just needs a modular dock that can easily be placed along the water. The dock charges the boats’ batteries, which stay full longer thanks to on-board solar panels. Innovation like this could transform our communities and how we move around them.
The ADU trend: Gaining traction but not solving the housing crisis (yet)
Source: New Home Trends Institute
In 2024, Colorado, Arizona, and Hawaii joined California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Vermont as states with broad accessory dwelling unit (ADU) mandates. While ADU construction continues to ramp up, especially in California, we have yet to see them relieve housing shortages or affordability challenges.
Most ADUs are being added to homes with a lot of equity and, when rented, get higher premiums than surrounding rentals. However, ADUs designed into new communities from the start can help planners efficiently map out communities and help homeowners qualify and make mortgage payments.
Can this new policy extinguish California’s wildfire insurance problem?
Source: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
In the last few years, countless insurers dramatically increased wildfire insurance premiums (over 30% for big insurers) in California or fled the state altogether. While the state doesn’t require insurance, mortgage lenders do.
In an effort to increase policy writing and get residents off California’s FAIR plan, California’s Insurance Commissioner is rolling out a new plan. Catastrophe models, incorporating risk mitigation efforts, will help insurers set their rates more accurately. In return, insurers will have to increase service in higher-risk areas.
Gen Z buyers would trade off safety for an affordable home
Source: Getty Images
According to a recent Redfin survey, about 24% of Gen Z house hunters stated they would sacrifice safety to afford a home, highlighting the intense pressure they feel from high housing costs.
Across all ages, 22% of respondents would compromise on quality schools, and 15% on proximity to work. This data highlights a broader trend where financial constraints are forcing buyers to prioritize affordability over other essential factors like safety, convenience, and education quality.