• Looking to transform I-375 synergistically

    Officials should consider the connections that were in place before the highway when planning to remove a mile-long Detroit Interstate in lieu of a surface street.
    Like many highways that have appeared on CNU's Freeways Without Futures list over the last decade and a half, I-375 in Detroit remains in place yet a source of controversy. Michigan DOT is still considering taking out the mile-long Interstate near downtown and replacing it with a surface street—but...Read more

  • Vision plan released for transforming I-81 in Syracuse

    The Community Grid proposal takes a broad planning approach to seven neighborhoods, districts, and corridors that could be changed and redeveloped following the demolition of the I-81 viaduct that has long overshadowed the city center.
    Syracuse and the New York State DOT are moving ahead with plans to demolish the aging I-81 viaduct through downtown and restore a “community grid.” Until this week, what that means has not been entirely clear. Syracuse is now releasing its Community Grid Vision Plan 2024 , which offers ideas for...Read more

  • Freeway ramp becomes park, connecting city to its river

    Albany Skyway in Albany, New York, reclaims an "ugly chunk of highway" to reconnect downtown with the Hudson riverfront via a new linear park. Stantec Consulting Services won a CNU 2023 Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
    Note: CNU and Public Square are closed the week of June 5, following a successful CNU 31 in Charlotte Cities across America have been damaged and disfigured by urban freeways—and the recently completed Albany Skyway shows how they can begin to heal. The $15 million Skyway—converting an Interstate...Read more

  • The role of community advocacy

    CNU’s biennial Freeways Without Futures report is out now! In a series of articles, Public Square is exploring common threads from the report. Article three focuses on how community campaigns can influence public policy related to in-city highways.
    With many of these hulking, burdensome highways reaching the end of their useful lifespans, communities are looking for alternatives to costly highway repair and expansion. The campaigns in this report offer a pathway to better health, equity, opportunity, and connectivity in every neighborhood,...Read more