Next Steps for the City of Freeways

It is difficult to imagine a time when Los Angeles' freeways symbolized access, efficiency, and modernity. Now that the city's love affair with freeways is nearly spent, what future do we envision for them?

1 minute read

August 19, 2015, 9:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Los Angeles Freeway

Rafał Próchniak / Flickr

Christopher Hawthorne reminds us that in the recent past, Los Angeles' freeways heralded a bright future. "This praise had a way of edging toward the religious. [Writer David] Brodsly called the post-war L.A. freeway 'the cathedral of its time and place.' Joan Didion famously wrote that freeway driving offered 'the only secular communion Los Angeles has.'"

Residents still use freeways out of necessity, but they're far from loved. Instead they represent wasted time and polluted air, one of many factors seen as holding the city back. Hawthorne writes, "[The private car] is drifting steadily from the center of the region's self-image.[...] Increasingly the fundamental task Los Angeles faces is one of re-urbanization — of infill development, of reanimating or repairing the public realm."

The article criticizes freeways as an urban monoculture, dedicated to a single use, dividing central areas to favor sprawl. Many agree that L.A. needs to lose its addiction to big roads. But what should happen to the immense freeway infrastructure already in place? Can these aging 'cathedrals' be repurposed?

Friday, August 7, 2015 in Los Angeles Times

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

White three-story brick single-room occupancy hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California.

‘Micro-Apartment’ Trend Underscores Housing Crisis

SROs are making a comeback under a new name as the housing supply remains strained and costs soar.

March 22, 2024 - Associated Press via Yahoo News

Red public transit bus in Bangalore, India.

Indian States Give Women Free Bus Passes

The programs are part of an initiative aimed at helping more women join the workforce and improving access to basic needs.

52 minutes ago - Next City

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skylinw with stone arched brige in foreground.

Study: How to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis

A proposal calls for a reevaluation of the city’s skyways, a focus on street-facing businesses, and an improved public realm.

1 hour ago - Minneapolis Post

Aerial view of Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with freeway interchanges in foreground at night.

Milwaukee Residents Challenge Freeway Expansion

Residents are voicing opposition to a planned expansion of Interstate 94, arguing that the project would eliminate the limited green space in the neighborhood.

2 hours ago - Spectrum News 1

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.