Navigating the Third Dimension: Emerging Typologies of Aerial Rideshare

The infrastructure of global cities has reached its limit. On-demand aerial rideshare will introduce a new electrified mobility mix that will reshape our cities, transform our infrastructure, and redefine how we organize our lives.

Navigating this multi-layered third dimension requires a facility that supports a cohesive relationship between the human, the flying taxi, and the urban fabric. Introducing the Skyport Mobility Hub; a novel architectural typology that aims to radically improve urban mobility and alleviate traffic congestion. With Dallas and Los Angeles being the first cities to launch UberAir flights in 2023, it is crucial to understand how Skyport Mobility Hubs enable a well-choreographed transition between air and ground rider modalities, exhibit operational efficiency of precise aircraft movement that can scale as demand increases, and minimize the impact on a city’s electrical grid.

This session examines this emerging market through several guiding principles: Convenience, Connectivity, Intuitive User Experience, Operational Feasibility, Modularity, Environmentally and Socially Responsible Design.

Thoughtful integration of skyports into existing networks is not only vital for the success of aerial ridesharing but must also address the greater needs of our communities by bridging divides between neighborhoods, transforming how we travel so we can focus on why we travel.

Learning Objectives:

• Introduce the components and programmatic requirements of a skyport, minimum site criteria for skyport development, and examine the process of transitioning existing architecture to support skyport operations   
• Propose sustainable solutions and techniques to reduce the impact on a city’s electrical grid and simultaneously benefit the surrounding environment.
• Propose a wide range of new architectural typologies that aerial rideshare might encourage, depend on, and enable, such as edge data centers, micro distribution centers, decentralized emergency response facilities, and support for autonomous vehicle fleets. 
• Create a new value proposition for our cities and users by reclaiming valuable property, discovering value in previously unutilized property and promoting inclusivity and equitable development. 
• Gain a better understanding of all the entities worldwide that are working towards the success of aerial rideshare

Speaker: Samantha Flores, AIA, NCARB

Speaker Bio: Samantha is the Director of Hugo, a research and innovations incubator at Corgan in Dallas, Texas, which actively identifies technology disrupters and examines the various impacts these innovations will have on the user experience and built environment through focused research and experimentation. Hugo keeps a pulse on industry innovations, provides a platform for research outside of a specific project environment, reaches out into innovative fields and enables Corgan to break into emerging markets and industries. It’s a testing ground, with a purpose. 

Samantha has seven years of experience as an aviation architect, and experiential design specialist. Her research concentrates on in-depth user profiling, design-applied wayfinding analysis, and developing predictions and implementation of innovative and new technologies in design. Her skills in communication and team-building coupled with her passion for design and attention to detail make her an asset to any project team.

Meeting Location:      The Ranch at Las Colinas

Meeting Address:       857 W. John Carpenter Fwy, Irving, Texas 75039

Registration start time:   11:30 am. 

Presentation begins:       12:00 pm. 

(please arrive before noon so the servers can take your order prior to the start of the presentation)

​Member/Friend of the Chapter Cost:         $15 online or $20 at the door
Non-Member/Guest Cost:                            $25 online or $30 at the door