Photos reminds me of my city during March – September of 2020.
When my city shutdown (NYC) at the beginning of the pandemic and there was this… _Temporary act of appreciation (?)_ for the essential workers that worked minimum wage jobs (think of delivery men, supermarket workers, fast food workers, etc), I began to wonder what would happen to my city, if the lower and middle-class _did_ move out because they couldn’t afford living here anymore.
many_dongs on
appealing to the automotive industry is probably more likely than racism
666Blonded on
And ultra capitalism
cybertubes on
For those confused: many components of the interstate highway system would have had to take shape in an entirely different way if it didn’t happen to be the case that next to many urban cores were where black communities existed. These were easier to destroy wholesale (or for no compensation at all!) than it was to reroute the major interchanges that define most American cities.
Lots of white neighborhoods were destroyed as well, but it was the easewith which decision makers decided to “reclaim” lots of black neighborhoods that led to what we have today.
KingOfConstipation on
I grew up around interstate 110. Particularly around the massive interchange in the upper right photo.
Seeing how this freeway, and the other freeways in South LA, carelessly rips through all of the Black and Latino neighborhoods pisses me off.
im_alliterate on
thats how detroit got fucked. 375 demolished black bottom.
Alarmed-Ad7933 on
In the early 1900s city planners and local governments made the decision to center our lives around automobiles.
Cars made need of roads, which made need of highways to connect roads, to needing parking, needing sidewalks, intersections, street parking, parking lots, etc.
That’s the answer
lazercheesecake on
Nononono
The answer is part money and part national security.
Eisenhower (and his subordinates) found that the autobahn highway network allowed military mobilization and logistics organization beyond anything history had seen before. A deficiency that was made obvious decades prior during a failed PR stunt for the US arctic snow cruiser, backed by the army. Post war industry meant paving millions of miles of road was relatively inexpensive. That’s why we have these massive highway sprawls all over the US.
The other part is money. It is far cheaper to build out that it is to build up. And boy could America build out. Modern logistics combined with mobile technology meant the car was a cheap and easy way to organize populations back then. Even to this day, truck logistics are an extremely flexible and cheap way to make sure you get your next-day Amazon delivery, cheap produce, well stocked markets, etc.
WHERE the highways went and who they impacted was full on racism.
Putting highways through major population centers meant having to choose which neighborhoods and entire city sectors to disrupt. The architect of the actual highway planning was a full on villain. Robert Moses specifically sought out well to do and up and coming black neighborhoods to “eminent domain” and destroy. And communities he could not outright destroy, he would cleave in two with the high ways. You can see in some cities, like Baton Rouge, where the I-10 and 110 deliberately snake through certain neighborhoods nonsensically until you see the demographic map of the city.
Add to that, the white flight from “inner city” people combined with illegal redlining practices at banks (and even government institutions) made it difficult for black communities to get loans or buy property set up local shops, anything. Further reducing black communities.
The benefit of highways and the resulting suburban life was an incredible boon to many Americans and the American economy in 1950-60. But it came at a heavy and deliberate cost to black American communities.
bluepvtstorm on
I mean in Baltimore, they started a highway and disrupted a thriving black community. Then the highway stopped. It goes nowhere. It was supposed to go from Baltimore city to Baltimore County. It stops in the black neighborhood because the white neighborhood said nope and got it stopped. It’s called the highway to nowhere.
danielzur2 on
As someone from a country without either interstate highways or racial tensions deeply rooted in the very fabric of the founding of my nation, this is all so educational and foreign to me.
iamtonysopranobitch on
Just gotta call everything racist because it’s a lifestyle 😂
gottapeenow2 on
It was called “white flight” because they moved out to the suburbs as “others” moved into urban areas. Freeways were built for the convenience of the suburban whites to travel around. And the automotive industry/ lobby was running shit for a loooong time.
theonedenisse on
Capitalism with a heavy dose of racism goes a LONG WAY
orangegreenpurple123 on
Lived in the twin cities of MN for 5 years. I-94 was built right through the heart of the biggest black neighborhood in the cities. They throw a little festival every summer to try and keep the community vibe alive.
Also. 35E speed limit is 45 mph when it goes close to the rich Summit Ave area, cause a certain demographic lives there and wants every one to suffer.
They’re not even subtle with it.
Disastrous_Dingo7291 on
Yep, racism. Jane Jacobs’ ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ has some fantastic examinations and critiques of this sort of design. One of many who stood up against Robert Moses and his ilk peddling “urban renewal” at the time.
nutellavangelist on
Capitalism then racism. Racism was used to justify slavery (extreme capitalism). Chattel Slavery left (wage slavery still exists), but racism didn’t. These policies were able to pass because black people are usually poor and lack adequate power to prevent infrastructure that ruins their neighborhoods.
Ruffendtv on
Everything is racism. Why is the sky blue? Oh, it’s good old-fashioned racism. Stop it
deewest305 on
Some of y’all are in true denial
omojos on
[White “lurkers” literally fucking face planting tripping over themselves to run in here and say this can’t possibly have anything to do with race.]
ParlorSoldier on
I’m just here to say “Fuck Robert Moses with the Jones Beach campanile.”
paputsza on
i’m sorry, but this is dumb. I know reddit hates cars, but saying “highways are racist” is a little much. Do you really want an urban area without a highway?
22 Comments
I don’t get it. What was ruined exactly?
Photos reminds me of my city during March – September of 2020.
When my city shutdown (NYC) at the beginning of the pandemic and there was this… _Temporary act of appreciation (?)_ for the essential workers that worked minimum wage jobs (think of delivery men, supermarket workers, fast food workers, etc), I began to wonder what would happen to my city, if the lower and middle-class _did_ move out because they couldn’t afford living here anymore.
appealing to the automotive industry is probably more likely than racism
And ultra capitalism
For those confused: many components of the interstate highway system would have had to take shape in an entirely different way if it didn’t happen to be the case that next to many urban cores were where black communities existed. These were easier to destroy wholesale (or for no compensation at all!) than it was to reroute the major interchanges that define most American cities.
Lots of white neighborhoods were destroyed as well, but it was the easewith which decision makers decided to “reclaim” lots of black neighborhoods that led to what we have today.
I grew up around interstate 110. Particularly around the massive interchange in the upper right photo.
Seeing how this freeway, and the other freeways in South LA, carelessly rips through all of the Black and Latino neighborhoods pisses me off.
thats how detroit got fucked. 375 demolished black bottom.
In the early 1900s city planners and local governments made the decision to center our lives around automobiles.
Cars made need of roads, which made need of highways to connect roads, to needing parking, needing sidewalks, intersections, street parking, parking lots, etc.
That’s the answer
Nononono
The answer is part money and part national security.
Eisenhower (and his subordinates) found that the autobahn highway network allowed military mobilization and logistics organization beyond anything history had seen before. A deficiency that was made obvious decades prior during a failed PR stunt for the US arctic snow cruiser, backed by the army. Post war industry meant paving millions of miles of road was relatively inexpensive. That’s why we have these massive highway sprawls all over the US.
The other part is money. It is far cheaper to build out that it is to build up. And boy could America build out. Modern logistics combined with mobile technology meant the car was a cheap and easy way to organize populations back then. Even to this day, truck logistics are an extremely flexible and cheap way to make sure you get your next-day Amazon delivery, cheap produce, well stocked markets, etc.
WHERE the highways went and who they impacted was full on racism.
Putting highways through major population centers meant having to choose which neighborhoods and entire city sectors to disrupt. The architect of the actual highway planning was a full on villain. Robert Moses specifically sought out well to do and up and coming black neighborhoods to “eminent domain” and destroy. And communities he could not outright destroy, he would cleave in two with the high ways. You can see in some cities, like Baton Rouge, where the I-10 and 110 deliberately snake through certain neighborhoods nonsensically until you see the demographic map of the city.
Add to that, the white flight from “inner city” people combined with illegal redlining practices at banks (and even government institutions) made it difficult for black communities to get loans or buy property set up local shops, anything. Further reducing black communities.
The benefit of highways and the resulting suburban life was an incredible boon to many Americans and the American economy in 1950-60. But it came at a heavy and deliberate cost to black American communities.
I mean in Baltimore, they started a highway and disrupted a thriving black community. Then the highway stopped. It goes nowhere. It was supposed to go from Baltimore city to Baltimore County. It stops in the black neighborhood because the white neighborhood said nope and got it stopped. It’s called the highway to nowhere.
As someone from a country without either interstate highways or racial tensions deeply rooted in the very fabric of the founding of my nation, this is all so educational and foreign to me.
Just gotta call everything racist because it’s a lifestyle 😂
It was called “white flight” because they moved out to the suburbs as “others” moved into urban areas. Freeways were built for the convenience of the suburban whites to travel around. And the automotive industry/ lobby was running shit for a loooong time.
Capitalism with a heavy dose of racism goes a LONG WAY
Lived in the twin cities of MN for 5 years. I-94 was built right through the heart of the biggest black neighborhood in the cities. They throw a little festival every summer to try and keep the community vibe alive.
Also. 35E speed limit is 45 mph when it goes close to the rich Summit Ave area, cause a certain demographic lives there and wants every one to suffer.
They’re not even subtle with it.
Yep, racism. Jane Jacobs’ ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ has some fantastic examinations and critiques of this sort of design. One of many who stood up against Robert Moses and his ilk peddling “urban renewal” at the time.
Capitalism then racism. Racism was used to justify slavery (extreme capitalism). Chattel Slavery left (wage slavery still exists), but racism didn’t. These policies were able to pass because black people are usually poor and lack adequate power to prevent infrastructure that ruins their neighborhoods.
Everything is racism. Why is the sky blue? Oh, it’s good old-fashioned racism. Stop it
Some of y’all are in true denial
[White “lurkers” literally fucking face planting tripping over themselves to run in here and say this can’t possibly have anything to do with race.]
I’m just here to say “Fuck Robert Moses with the Jones Beach campanile.”
i’m sorry, but this is dumb. I know reddit hates cars, but saying “highways are racist” is a little much. Do you really want an urban area without a highway?