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I don't agree, I-95 through Philadelphia has had extremely negative effects that definitely puts it near the top. Really any city that cut off their street grid from the waterfront has to be close to the top. Rich places like NYC were able to fully redevelop most areas for various different uses. East of I-95 in Philly gives travelers going through the city a pretty negative impression. Couple that with the fact that they removed some really historic and old neighborhoods near center city, it's made the city much worse off. Old City would be better if you could just walk to the waterfront like this:
I agree 100%. 76 and 676 aren't the absolute worst, but 95 is horrible. If I had my way, it would run the length of the Jersey Turnpike, never entering PA. From there, the section of highway between the Oregon Avenue and at least the Girard Avenue (I would prefer the Betsy Ross Bridge interchange) would be demolished, with the northern existing highway being renumbered as I-295 and the southern section from the Oregon Avenue interchange to the PA/DE state line being renumbered as I-495. Doing this would not only reunite Philly with the Delaware River, but would also allow for the removal of 95 from Downtown Wilmington. Add in a direct connection from the Vine Street Expressway to the Ben Franklin Bridge and giving the local streets that currently handle BFB traffic (6th, 7th, Race, and Callowhill) road diets and Old City would be on the mend.
676 through Camden is also bad. If I had my way, the entirety of that highway would be demolished. Drivers could easily make the connection via US-130.
They all have been impacted by highways, but I think Cincinnati is one of the worst offenders.
Just look at a map of the urban core of Cincinnati in 1955 vs today. Swaths of dense neighborhoods destroyed by a massive spaghetti junction interchange. It could easily have been one of the densest cities in the US.
They all have been impacted by highways, but I think Cincinnati is one of the worst offenders.
Just look at a map of the urban core of Cincinnati in 1955 vs today. Swaths of dense neighborhoods destroyed by a massive spaghetti junction interchange. It could easily have been one of the densest cities in the US.
This monstrosity just to the west of downtown says it all. This could be a really nice area if they would put this underground or relocate it completely.
This monstrosity just to the west of downtown says it all. This could be a really nice area if they would put this underground or relocate it completely.
It really is a travesty. The junction of Fort Washington Way and I-75 is the equivalent of 10 city blocks. The urbanity of OTR used to stretch all the way to Union Terminal
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned public transit; more specifically, rail rapid transit and commuter rail, notably the absence thereof, as a major contributing factor. Cities with legacy rail systems and those committed to building them during the period -- ie the latter: Washington, DC, tend to have the smallest freeway networks and have been less impacted by them. It's no secret, places with substantial legacy rail transit networks such as Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago. are less impacted by freeways -- (yes, NYC even despite the infamous Robert Moses), were less impacted by freeways.
Detroit, meanwhile, a City seemingly singularly motivated to NOT develop serious transit, is the worst impacted, carved up and abandoned, as a result of a massive freeway network. The correlation is really that simple.
Also @thedirtypirate, even with Philadelphia's struggles, I don't think highways are one of them. I feel the urban fabric of Philly is pretty intact. I think Philadelphia fared better than like Boston or New York or the Midwest cities.
It really is a travesty. The junction of Fort Washington Way and I-75 is the equivalent of 10 city blocks. The urbanity of OTR used to stretch all the way to Union Terminal
It's terrible. I know it would be a massive investment to re-work that interchange. I.E relocate it or put it under ground. But it really should happen ASAP and I think it would be worth it. Cincinnati is starting to come back but this is a major blight that's holding the city back.
Also @thedirtypirate, even with Philadelphia's struggles, I don't think highways are one of them. I feel the urban fabric of Philly is pretty intact. I think Philadelphia fared better than like Boston or New York or the Midwest cities.
I'd have to agree re: Philly. Not to say it made it out of urban renewal/highway expansion era unscathed, but it's lack of more ambitious transportation planning and execution, for once, turned out to be a blessing.
And I think that extends to the suburbs, too (the region never created a true "beltway" and its paltry highway [76] artery coming from its populous Western suburbs was never meant to handle even half of the population that it serves today). Philadelphia in general is arguably the most "under-highwayed" large metropolitan area in the US; that used to be a disadvantage, for sure, but I now consider that an asset.
I do feel particularly bad for Cincinnati and Detroit, however. I believe St. Louis may be in the Top 3, as well. So much fantastic urban fabric lost that would have been a real asset to that city today.
I'd have to agree re: Philly. Not to say it made it out of urban renewal/highway expansion era unscathed, but it's lack of more ambitious transportation planning and execution, for once, turned out to be a blessing.
And I think that extends to the suburbs, too (the region never created a true "beltway" and its paltry highway [76] artery coming from its populous Western suburbs was never meant to handle even half of the population that it serves today). Philadelphia in general is arguably the most "under-highwayed" large metropolitan area in the US; that used to be a disadvantage, for sure, but I now consider that an asset.
I do feel particularly bad for Cincinnati and Detroit, however. I believe St. Louis may be in the Top 3, as well. So much fantastic urban fabric lost that would have been a real asset to that city today.
Yeah one thing I noticed about Philly is I can walk from Center City to Society Hill to Northern Liberties without being interrupted by a highway. I can go all four directions from City Center and have a cohesive urban space. Whether you like that part of Philadelphia is not the point. The point is the urban environment is there.
Like I said before, Philadelphia is kind of lucky it was spared (Bar the waterfront, but that can be fixed easily... but then again, the Jersey side is nothing to look at so idk. Maybe we can get some high-rises over on Camden's side??? Okay... Im talking out my a**).
Philadelphia (Maybe an unpopular opinion, but i really don't care...) doesn't feel this way. It doesn't have freeways separating neighborhoods and it can be walked in a cohesive manner. Boston and NYC experienced a huge construction boom from 2012+, whereas, Philadelphia is just getting started. If Philadelphia just receives 2/3 of what Boston and NYC received on a per capita basis then the City has the opportunity to be really unique.
How are you basing this cities as the top 3?
Most cities have a story about Highways chopping up neighborhoods. And it's usually black neighborhoods.
I think cities in the south got it worse.
The Claiborne Expressway tore right through the Treme destroying the urban fabric of the oldest and one of the most vibrant black neighborhoods in the US.
The NY times writes:
Quote:
Claiborne Avenue, once referred to as the “Main Street” of Black New Orleans with more than 100 businesses, wilted under ill-fated urban renewal policies. Only a few dozen businesses stand today.
Imbued with a rich cultural and musical history and dating back to the early 19th century, the neighborhood was racially diverse, made up of free people of color, enslaved African Americans and Caribbean and European immigrants. Claiborne Avenue was both walkable and affordable, what Richard Campanella, a geographer at Tulane, called “urbanism at its best.”
In Tremé, century-old oak trees, towering and lush, once lined the wide median along North Claiborne Avenue. As far as the eye could see, they formed a protective green canopy above children playing after Sunday Mass, couples holding picnics and families celebrating the parades and pageantry of Mardi Gras.
To make it worse the City was going to run a highway right across the front of the French Quarter fronting the River. Right there between Jackson Square and the river, destroying Cafe Du Monde and the French Market. The people protested and the plans were thankfully blocked. Let's not even begin to talk about the plans they had for Canal Street.
100 years ago Houston's 2 most affluent areas were River Oaks for affluent Whites and Riverside Terrace for affluent Jewish people (and then affluent blacks). In 1959 homes were bulldozed right through Riverside terrace to build highway 288. It didn't stop there, it tore through 3rd ward separating the neighborhood from commercial streets like Almeda. The southern half of Midtown Houston was carved out of the 3rd ward.
Highway 59 also cut through the western side of 3rd ward before going on to cut through neighborhoods east of downtown Houston. But that's not all. Highway 45 is a third Highway that chopped though 3rd ward before going on to chop through 4th Ward leaving the community on one side and their church on the other. Then I10 went through neighborhoods on the north completely ringing downtown Houston and just decimating surrounding neighborhoods. A developer bought out what was left of Cotton Hill and bulldozed 30+ city blocks to build what was to become a futuristic city. That fell through and the area became a sea of parking lots. 50 years later and the area is finally down to the last few lots.
There's stories like this all over the US, so Idk if those 3 are really a lock on the top 3
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