California-based Archer Aviation, a developer of an urban air mobility ecosystem and eVTOL aircraft will be working with REEF to develop plans for urban takeoff and landing sites.

REEF, the largest operator of mobility and logistics hubs in the US, transforms urban spaces into neighbourhood centres that connect people to locally curated goods, services and experiences. Its network of over 4,800 parking garages is a multi-million parking space system that covers 70 per cent of North America's urban population, yet is largely under-utilised given the changing nature of urban living in recent years. Archer and REEF will work together to allow Archer's aircraft to access largely dormant rooftop sites across some of the most densely populated and heavily congested urban city locations in the US, including the company's two key launch markets of Los Angeles and Miami.

REEF's network lends itself to Archer's plans for developing vertiports in dense urban areas. With proximity to high-traffic city hubs, Archer is looking to establish operations in locations that will benefit most from access to the company's planned urban air mobility network. Using Prime Radiant, the company's proprietary data science technology, Archer will determine optimal landing sites within REEF's existing network. The goal is to identify sites that already have the space needed for takeoff, landing and charging, so minimal construction is required for operations to launch.

“We are focused on developing urban aerial ridesharing networks that will ease the issues caused by excessive city congestion,” says Adam Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer. “We believe that working with REEF will allow us to accelerate our mission to transition congested urban areas to more sustainable forms of transportation. The ability to build out our early vertiports with light retrofitting of existing structures would allow us to scale operations while maintaining our focus on affordability for our customers. We're thrilled to announce this strategic relationship as we continue to execute on our roadmap towards bringing urban air mobility to reality.”

Fellow co-founder Brett Adcock adds: “REEF as a company is symbolic of a reef in nature, bringing new life and fostering growth. That's exactly what we're working on doing with REEF; taking functional structures and rejuvenating them to open up new possibilities for the populations around them. Together we have an opportunity not just to solve logistical issues but to add tangible value to the communities in which we'll operate.”

REEF chief revenue officer George Fallica concludes: “One of our core areas of focus is to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions by supporting incredible transportation technologies like those Archer is building. Archer's focus on sustainability and transforming the everyday urban travel experience aligns closely with our own mission. We're excited to be working with them on plans to reshape city landscapes and make existing infrastructure even more functional.”