The person said, “I’m going to the store.”
The person said they were going to the store. ess have always had in common: human connection.
We can learn a lot from the oldest cities around the world, which were built with human connection in mind. Narrow streets, buildings close together, homes mixed with workplaces and shops, and central public spaces were all part of the design. In contrast, many of today’s American cities feature wide roads, houses far away from workplaces and shops, and parking lots, all designed for cars.
In the 21st century, cities are facing monumental challenges such as climate change, maintaining human health and social equality. To build the next generation of cities, we must look back at the past and understand how cars have altered the American cityscape. In the early 20th century, streets were bustling with streetcars, horses, buggies, and people walking. However, when cars became widely accessible, the automobile industry began to influence city planning and zoning laws, producing drastic inequity in how people move about. The Federal Highway Act of 1956 created the interstate highways still used today, which made it easy for people to abandon the city and ran through poor and working-class communities, typically communities of color. This destroyed neighborhoods and lives, and as cars multiplied, so did air pollution and emissions contributing to climate change.
To address these issues, government investment in current solutions like public transit and modern road designs is necessary. A just transition of the economy, a regenerative economy of care, and the Green New Deal can help us achieve this vision. Increasing access to public transit and active transportation like walking and biking can be key to addressing climate change and building the next generation of cities. By giving cities back to the people, we can emphasize the importance of human connection.