Every year, the Congress for the New Urbanism releases a list of ten North American expressways that it feels should be removed called ?Freeways Without Futures.? The list isn?t just an academic exercise without any meaning ? it’s used by politicians, design professionals, and community groups to propose ideas for urban change.
In the mid-20th century, North American cities built expressways through many neighborhoods, subsequently giving suburbanites quick access to downtown. These expressways split neighborhoods, created psychological barriers, and resulted in a poor quality of life for those living in the area. Today, many of those same cities are looking to correct the mistakes they committed decades ago by demolishing these structures. In Dallas, a group called ?A New Dallas? is advocating that the city demolish the I-345, an expressway that cuts between downtown and the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood. Led by a group of activists, the group sees the removal of the highway as a way to bring over 22,000 new jobs, almost 30,000 new residents, more than $100 million in property tax revenue, and about $4 billion in investment to the downtown area. As a result of A New Dallas’ advocacy, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has had to cancel its proposals to keep the expressway in place. Currently, the area adjacent to the crumbling structure is surrounded by vacant lots and streets that lack vitality. A New Dallas hopes that tearing down the one highw...