We’ve talked a lot about the impact of urban renewal and the push for auto-dependant spaces.
I found two very interesting VOX mini-documentaries on these topics.
This video not only explains how highways harmed cities and its inhabitants but also why they were built. There were economic incentives from motor companies and the government for a larger network of roads.
This video states that it is estimated that in America there are eight parking spots for every car, which take up 30% of cities and combine to take up as much land as West Virginia. Before this video, I had never thought about where or why parking lots come from, as I’ve grown up used to free parking at parking lots. There are government enforced policies that determine how many parking spaces there must be for each development. While this parking appears to be free for the driver, someone has to pay for the average 330 square feet of land. Ironically enough, the video explains that everyone except the driver pays for this parking through taxes and higher prices.
The video closes by arguing that if we were able to repurpose the excess parking land and accurately price parking there is a lot of potential for growth.
What is the future of the highways system and free parking in suburban areas as new methods of transportation, such as bike shares and electric scooters, become increasingly popular in city centers?
These videos are really interesting and informative. I think it is interesting to also frame this discussion in terms of who has the right to the city? By building these massive pieces of infrastructure aimed at the needs of the people who own automobiles, are we marginalizing those who either prefer alternative modes of transportation or who just can not afford to buy a car I think it is super clear how inefficient and exclusionary our automobile-dependent society is. We could be using that capital and real estate that was used on the parking lots into investments in infrastructure that could help marginalized and impoverished communities. In relation to the question you pose at the end, my hope is that one day these alternative methods of transportations (Bikes, e-scooters, etc.) become mainstream and we find a way to repurpose these wasted spaces.