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to the downtowns in America if every freeway that currently runs though the official downtowns in America WAS BURIED UNDERGROUND, a la "The Big Dig" in Boston.
Thoughts?
P.S. Money is not an issue. Just the idea is being discussed, not the financials.
Large divided road instead with lights, and green space in the middle. The green space is nice, but the setting is still too noisy. And the space is really wide and feels like a barrier. I haven't been to Boston pre-Big Dig to see how it compares, but it's hard to bring back what was lost.
Dreams exist to put a lid on I-71 as it parallels the Ohio River (colloquially called Fort Washington Way) in downtown Cincinnati. Personally, I don't see what a difference it would make; I'm not as intimidated by walking over a freeway bridge from one part of downtown to another, and I'm capable of walking across a short bridge to get where I want to go.
About 15 years ago, the freeway was rebuilt and the highway level lowered so that the bridges crossing it were at street level, removing the visual barrier between downtown and the riverfront, and better access via additional bridges was added.
But still, others call the freeway a "barrier" between downtown and the riverfront.
If money were no object? Sure. But money is an object. A big one. And after the tunnel is built, it must be maintained.
For some cities, the damage is already done and even if the freeways were buried, they'd still seem like an unnatural break up of the cityscape. I would be in favor of removing them completely and returning them to surface roads if possible. Obviously this would be aimed more at freeway spurs and redundant routes; One or two major arteries into the city center would be useful, but for some cities, it's like they have several all intersecting in the downtown area. Totally unnecessary.
So, I am quite certain that another major freeway will never be allowed to be built close to or through a downtown again. That is a madness that belongs to a by-gone era.
Unfortunately, damage done.
That being said, I'm also fairly certain that more and more cities will choose dig, like Boston or reroute major freeways that severed many downtowns. It takes tremendous political will to face up to the people who can't fathom it, and it takes massive up-front financing. However, it will pay dividends in increased ad valorem taxes and generally contribute to revitalization efforts of cities all over the US.
This is a process that will play out over a 100 years. It will be tremendously challenging - but what was done can be undone.
Many cities will resist for decades they will be swimming against the tide of history. Unfortunately - this process is one that will benefit our children and their children more that it will be us.
Cities were destroyed by the So-Called greatest generation and left to fester by the boomers. GenX has been instrumental in a return to sanity that Millennials have embraced with a passion. Their children will wonder how we lost our collective minds and truly live in a a transformed world.
Large divided road instead with lights, and green space in the middle. The green space is nice, but the setting is still too noisy. And the space is really wide and feels like a barrier. I haven't been to Boston pre-Big Dig to see how it compares, but it's hard to bring back what was lost.
That park replaced a massive freeway and absolute barrier running through the heart of the city.
Development to heal scares takes decades - not months or years.
So, I am quite certain that another major freeway will never be allowed to be built close to or through a downtown again. That is a madness that belongs to a by-gone era.
Unfortunately, damage done.
That being said, I'm also fairly certain that more and more cities will choose dig, like Boston or reroute major freeways that severed many downtowns. It takes tremendous political will to face up to the people who can't fathom it, and it takes massive up-front financing. However, it will pay dividends in increased ad valorem taxes and generally contribute to revitalization efforts of cities all over the US.
This is a process that will play out over a 100 years. It will be tremendously challenging - but what was done can be undone.
Many cities will resist for decades they will be swimming against the tide of history. Unfortunately - this process is one that will benefit our children and their children more that it will be us.
Cities were destroyed by the So-Called greatest generation and left to fester by the boomers. GenX has been instrumental in a return to sanity that Millennials have embraced with a passion. Their children will wonder how we lost our collective minds and truly live in a a transformed world.
So, I am quite certain that another major freeway will never be allowed to be built close to or through a downtown again. That is a madness that belongs to a by-gone era.
Unfortunately, damage done.
That being said, I'm also fairly certain that more and more cities will choose dig, like Boston or reroute major freeways that severed many downtowns. It takes tremendous political will to face up to the people who can't fathom it, and it takes massive up-front financing. However, it will pay dividends in increased ad valorem taxes and generally contribute to revitalization efforts of cities all over the US.
This is a process that will play out over a 100 years. It will be tremendously challenging - but what was done can be undone.
Many cities will resist for decades they will be swimming against the tide of history. Unfortunately - this process is one that will benefit our children and their children more that it will be us.
Cities were destroyed by the So-Called greatest generation and left to fester by the boomers. GenX has been instrumental in a return to sanity that Millennials have embraced with a passion. Their children will wonder how we lost our collective minds and truly live in a a transformed world.
You mean like the Katy freeway expansion that runs to downtown Houston? Or a more recent one than that, late 2000s I think.
Seattle has partial caps on its freeways. The convention center is built over I-5 and 99 runs under Battery Street. To me, it's a joke that it takes "tremendous political will to face up to the people who can't fathom it." Just about every city seems to have a plan to cap freeways, and the plan itself is usually well received. The part that's objected to is the cost... which no one really likes. The pro-urbanist, anti-car types don't want to spend the money on cars. Businesses and commuters would rather spend the money real infrastructure than cosmetic projects.
to the downtowns in America if every freeway that currently runs though the official downtowns in America WAS BURIED UNDERGROUND, a la "The Big Dig" in Boston.
Thoughts?
P.S. Money is not an issue. Just the idea is being discussed, not the financials.
Help who? Hinder who?
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