The video begins with Miles O'Brien, the host, in the visibly aging NYC subway and then goes to suburban Highland Ranch outside Denver, then to Portland's bike-friendly and modern streetcar scenes. Back to NY and the expressway-divided South Bronx to see the effects of Robert Moses. Finally, all roads lead to DC where the new transportation legislation will determine the path the country takes.
Streetsblog:
"Focusing in on three cities, New York, Denver (and environs) and Portland, it features interviews with a whole host of interesting subjects including NYC DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Portland Mayor Sam Adams, BikePortland blog maestro Jonathan Maus and Columbia University's Owen Gutfreund, author of "20th Century Sprawl."
Denver Post:
"Fast-forward to the 1970s, the beginnings of Highlands Ranch and its counterpoint. Then-Gov. Dick Lamm threatened to "drive a silver stake" through the Interstate 470 beltway. Lamm succeeded in delaying the beltway, but the wrath of real estate interests and the press transformed his stake into a boomerang, thoroughly marginalizing the young governor.
While Lamm was left licking his wounds, Portland was being tempted by the same siren's song: big federal dollars to build the Mount Hood Freeway. But then-City Councilman Earl Blumenauer (now a congressman) rallied local activists to oppose speculators who were determined to demolish miles of historic urban fabric to build an eight-lane freeway through the heart of southeast Portland.
Blueprint America is more than a tutorial on urban planning and its consequences. It is a thoughtful and provocative study of human nature and political courage."
Thanks to Leonard Conly
