Santiago Caltrava designed the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, which is all you need to hear to understand the Texas-sized ambition of the project. Evaluating the bridge's success, five years after its opening, is more complicated than that.
"It's been five years since the first cars rushed across the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge [in Dallas], but if you're hoping for a verdict on its success or failure, the only possible response is that the jury is still out," writes Mark Lamster.
According to Lamster, the design of the bridge has produced a split decision. Critiques of the bridge begin to emerge for its lack of pedestrian and bike infrastructure ("representative of that endemic Dallas tendency to privilege object over context," writes Lamster) and its lack of an aesthetic connection to West Dallas.
Finally, Lamster speculates that the most lasting story about the Hunt Hill Bridge's legacy is yet to be written:
Five years in, the bridge stands above all as a metaphor, a giant arched portal to another Dallas, one that the city has yet to realize. And the greatest unresolved question of all is not so much what will happen across the bridge, but what will happen under it with the unfulfilled landscape that lies between the Trinity levees.
FULL STORY: The great white hoop: Five years of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Dallas' Margaret McDermott Bridge Finally Open to Pedestrians and Cyclists
Overdue and over budget, infrastructure for pedestrian and people on bikes is finally available on the Margaret McDermott Bridge in Dallas.
As Cables on Dallas' Margaret McDermott Bridge Fail, State and City Play Blame Game
Santiago Calatrava has run into trouble over the maintenance of his bridge projects in the past—this time it looks like it's not his fault.
Meet the New Calatrava-Designed Bridge Under Construction in Downtown Dallas
Everything you wanted to know about the Margaret McDermott Bridge, under construction in Downtown Dallas.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)