Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Network Roundup

Highway Fallout: Images of Cincinnati Before and After the Road Bomb

Aaron Renn at the Urbanophile has been looking at the devastation wrought on different cities by highways. And he's uncovered a pretty dramatic example in these pre- and post-highway photos of Cincinnati's West End.

Here's a view of the neighborhood in the 1950s, the "before" photo:

false

And here's a satellite view of how it looks today:

false

It's almost unrecognizable, but on the left in both photos you can see Cincinnati's in-tact Union Terminal train station. In the later version, a lovely City Beautiful-style plaza in front of the station has been converted to parking. Much of the rest of the area has been converted to industrial parks.

Renn says:

Over the Rhine is one of America’s most stunning historic districts. When I visited the city last year, one of the locals explained that there had been “miles” of neighborhoods just like it obliterated by freeway construction. I found this difficult to credit until I came across the photographic proof.

If the West End was still walkable and people-centered, would it be undergoing a renaissance today like Cincy's Over-the-Rhine? We'll never know.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Mobilizing the Region reports that Camden, NJ, recently cut the ribbon on a series of active transportation projects funded by a federal TIGER grant. The Green Lane Project shares a graphic showing which American cities have both protected bike lanes and bike-share. And Second Avenue Sagas posts some intriguing fantasy maps of New York City subways.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Psyched About Bikes

NACTO's new Urban Bikeway Design Guide tackles the politics of bike lanes in addition to the engineering challenges.

January 14, 2025

Video: Why We Need a Global Freeway Fighters’ Network

A terrible project in Berlin shows the need for a global network to support local freeway fighters everywhere.

January 14, 2025

What’s Missing From the Safe Systems Approach

Safe streets, road users, speeds, vehicles, and post-crash care have long been held up as the five pillars of the "safe systems" approach to ending road deaths. One state DOT, though, recently added a sixth one — and their outgoing secretary thinks it's key to saving lives.

January 13, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Don’t Go Small

How is transit that only moves a few people at a time that different from personal cars, except at public expense?

January 13, 2025
See all posts