Google has had autonomous vehicles driving in the San Francisco Bay Area for years. More recently, it has also been testing cars on the streets of Phoenix, Austin, and Kirkland, Wash. Pittsburgh, home to pioneering self-driving car research at Carnegie Mellon University, has just formed an alliance with Uber to provide a driverless version of its service. Boston has announced a year-long test of autonomous vehicles on its streets in partnership with the World Economic Forum, with the goal of advancing safety, transportation access, and progress toward the organization’s sustainability goals.

Cities like Pittsburgh, Boston, Singapore, and Tokyo, who can bring together cutting edge research, sophisticated businesses, and strategic visions for improving their urban environments, are likely to emerge as leaders in these transformations.