2026 Theses Master's

Planning the Low Altitude City: Governing Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Delivery in New York City

Su, Huanghe

New York City is poised on the edge of a new system to its transportation system: small unmanned aircraft that carry packages through the air. Federal rules and private company operators are rapidly advancing the rules, technologies, and pilot projects that will make these Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) a routine part of urban logistics, New York City still lacks a clear planning framework for where drone delivery should operate, how hubs and receiving points should be sited, and how safety, privacy, noise, and equity concerns should be governed.

This thesis examines how New York City can govern parcel delivery by UAS using a case study of Meituan's drone delivery system in Shenzhen and a survey of New York City residents. The most transferable lesson from Shenzhen's deployment of UAS is a node based system built around fixed routes, designated launch and landing sites, and secure handoff infrastructure.

The survey shows that support for drone delivery is conditional. Respondents were most willing to use it for urgent or time sensitive needs such as medicine, groceries, and takeout food. Speed and reliability were the strongest drivers, while higher cost, safety, and privacy concerns were the main barriers. By combining the findings, the thesis argues that New York should approach drone delivery through node based authorization, secure receiving infrastructure, and visible local governance in order to build public trust and protect spatial equity.