Planning for Advanced Air Mobility

This PAS Report from the American Planning Association provides planners and policymakers with foundational knowledge to understand potential considerations and community impacts of advanced air mobility (AAM). It offers information for the public sector to integrate AAM into planning and policymaking at the local and regional levels.

The white paper begins with an introduction to AAM, including key concepts like aircraft types, business models, and airspace. It provides background on the history of AAM, from early "flying car" concepts to today's state of the industry and market potential.

The potential challenges of AAM are explored, including operational issues like safety, security, air traffic management, and weather, as well as community impacts such as noise, privacy, visual pollution, energy use, emissions, and land use compatibility. The report emphasizes the importance of social equity in AAM planning and implementation.

Key topics covered are vertiport infrastructure and multimodal integration. The report presents a taxonomy of AAM takeoff and landing infrastructure, potential business models, and vertiport planning and design considerations. It stresses the need to plan for the complete AAM trip and connections with other transportation modes.

Guidance is provided on integrating AAM into local and regional planning practice, such as addressing it in comprehensive plans and using policy and regulatory approaches to ensure land use compatibility. Public investment considerations and the role of partnerships and collaboration are also discussed.

The report concludes by summarizing what is currently known and unknown about AAM and identifying priority areas for research, engagement, and policy as communities prepare for the potentially transformational impacts of this emerging transportation technology. Appendices provide a glossary, a list of acronyms, AAM resources for planners, and the report methodology.
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