On the Symbolism of Highway Protests
"Quite apart from the original intent of a national highway system, which included economic development by quickly moving goods between distant cities, and national defense, urban highways were sold as a tool of segregation. They have proven to be wildly successful," writes Alex Inen, who provides lots of details about how the St. Louis region's history of freeway construction left communities like Ferguson and the city of St. Louis behind.
The article also concludes by noting the symbolism of recent protests that shut down highways across the country: "Shutting down Interstates is a powerful and meaningful symbolic protest. It disrupts the thing which has materially enabled self-segregation. We have sacrificed our communities to allow people to pass through, fast. The symbolism of forcing a pause is powerful."
Topics
- Infographic: Space Allocation by Population in 15 U.S. Cities
- A 20-Year To-Do List for Cities
- The Argument Against Home Ownership
- Does the Plan to Revitalize a D.C. Canal Too Much Resemble the High Line?
- Study: Not All Gentrification Effects Are Equal
- Research: Transit Times Determine Social Networks
- U.S. Economic Growth Shows Urban-Rural Divide
- Report Makes Business Case for Vancouver-to-Portland High Speed Rail
- The Great O'Hare Race (And its Discontents)
- Moving People Out of Flood Zones Is a Win-Win Strategy
- Another Berkeley 'First': Banning Natural Gas Lines in New Buildings
- An 'Urban Orchard' Next to the Los Angeles River
- Austin Mulling New Incentives for Transit Riders
- 'Urban Green Spaces': A Book for Planners and Laypeople
- The Myth of the 'Childless City'
- After a Bus Kills a Scooter Rider, Two Councilmembers Call for Complete Streets
- A Complete Streets Building Spree in Philadelphia
- Home Improvements Expected to Slow Substantially in the Upcoming Year
- As More 'Superstar' Cities Emerge, the Gap With Other Cities Grows
- Advocates Press for Harder Questions While Pittsburgh Experiments With Self-Driving Cars
