Is There Such Thing as an "Urban Freeway"?

Freeways are disconnected, unwalkable, and have limited access; they are the antithesis of "urban." So we should probably use a different term to describe them, argues Alex McKeag.

1 minute read

September 17, 2013, 6:00 AM PDT

By amckeag1

"In entering the jurisdiction of cities, did the highways themselves somehow change, evolving to fit the urban context?" asks McKeag. "There is nothing inherently different between a freeway in a city and one outside of a city. Nothing. And attaching the word 'urban' implies a compatibility with the city that simply doesn’t exist."

"Therefore, if by using the term 'urban freeway' we are either legitimizing the freeway as something that belongs in an urban context (somehow positively connoting it is connected and accessible) or suggesting it is a distinctive 'thing' that exists and we need to accept it, then the term needs to change. Remember, freeways don’t belong in cities."

FULL STORY: HIGHWAYS TO BOULEVARDS BLOG: The Language of Urban Freeways

Monday, September 16, 2013 in CNU.org

Transportation North America Highways to Boulevards Congress for the New Urbanism Ian Lockwood Aaron Naparstek John Norquist View More

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