From the time of the horse and the buggy, mobile transportation has linked American infrastructure to the ways humans interact with cities. When Ford manufactured the famous Model T car in 1908, cars quickly assimilated in the American way of life. As cars became more common, cities began to change. Architects such as Harvey W. Corbett and Le Corbusier began imagining utopian cities in which cars and people would be separated on levels to account for different paces of traffic. One look around a modern city today will tell you that this idyllic dream never came to fruition.
Instead of a separation between cars and humans, architects and government officials began planning cities that intertwined the two. Buildings were separated into blocks to make room for roads. Sidewalks were pushed to the side and became disjointed to allow for the flow of traffic. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower created a national highway system funded under the Federal-Aid Highway Act. Freeways began separating communities, and suburban neighborhoods became more common, linked between highways and major roads.
With the increase of car use came the decline of walking. Today, only two-thirds of adults report walking for more than 10 minutes at any time in the previous week. Mobile transportation is now the primary mode of transportation for nearly all Americans. Buildings began needing an additional function: a place for cars to park. Whether in the form of large lots, parking garages or even street parking, the connection between buildings and cars is clear. One can no longer exist without accounting for the other.
However, there are ways in which cities can help facilitate an increase in walking. Pedestrian only areas, such as nature trails, promenades, city parks and public plazas offer opportunities for people to safely enjoy walking without fear of traffic. As green spaces and urban areas become more prominent, cities are becoming more accessible for people who enjoy traveling on foot. It’s up to modern architects to ensure this trend continues.
References
Andrews, E. (2019, April 17). Why do cities keep building all this new stuff for cars? Grist. Retrieved from https://grist.org/article/why-do-cities-keep-building-all-this-new-stuff-for-cars/
Martinez, E. (2015, April 6). American cities are designed for cars—which makes life worse for everyone. Quartz. Retrieved from https://qz.com/375745/american-cities-are-designed-for-cars-which-makes-life-worse-for-everyone/.