Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

In this week's episode of "Moving Beyond the Automobile," Streetfilms takes you on a guided tour of past, present and future highway removal projects with John Norquist of the Congress for the New Urbanism.Some of the most well-known highway removals in America -- like New York City's West Side Highway and San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway -- have actually been unpredictable highway collapses brought on by structural deficiencies or natural disasters. It turns out there are good reasons for not rebuilding these urban highways once they become rubble: They drain the life from the neighborhoods around them, they suck wealth and value out of the city, and they don't even move traffic that well during rush hour.

Now several cities are pursuing highway removals more intentionally, as a way to reclaim city space for housing, parks, and economic development. CNU has designated ten "Freeways Without Futures" here in North America, and in this video, you'll hear about the benefits of tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, the Sheridan Expressway in the Bronx, the Skyway and Route 5 in Buffalo, and the Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans.

Streetfilms would like to thank The Fund for the Environment & Urban Life for making this series possible.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

How the 17th-Century ‘Mews’ Could Make 21st-Century Suburbs More Walkable

A new development in Texas is repurposing an old idea to make constant driving optional.

December 5, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines … Psych!

Getting people out of their cars requires both viable alternatives and something to jolt them out of their habits, according to behavioral scientists.

December 5, 2024

Wednesday’s Headlines Highlight Public Health

An epidemiologist explains how to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and more in today's headlines.

December 4, 2024

Could ChatGPT Make America More Walkable?

No, generative AI shouldn't plan a whole city — but a new study argues it could help identify gaps in our sidewalk networks, tree canopies, and more.

December 4, 2024

Close the ‘Instacart Loophole’: NYC Pols May Expand Minimum Wage to Grocery Delivery Workers

Grocery delivery app companies like Instacart currently do not have to pay their workers the deliverista minimum wage.

December 4, 2024
See all posts