Over the past twenty years, the impact of urban highways in the United States has come under the spotlight as much of this mid-century infrastructure reaches the end of its lifespan, writes an article in the online magazine ArchDaily. There is concern that removing highways could cause an increase in traffic, but urban planners widely argue that adding more transport infrastructure doesn’t solve traffic congestion.
Instead, the removal of these main roads opens the door to urban developments with alternative street grids and green amenities that support healthier city living and smart growth, writes the article. One example is in New York, where there are plans to tear down the I-81 highway in the latest of a series of a plans to demolish or repurpose elevated highways across the United States – a country where these massive infrastructures destroyed neighbourhoods, caused racial segregation and led to an over-reliance on cars, writes the article.
"Reconnecting neighbourhoods that were severed by asphalt highways is a cornerstone of our bold infrastructure vision for a better New York," said the state's governor Kathy Hochul, as quoted in ArchDaily. Over 30 American cities are currently evaluating highway removal.
