• When is a highway cap appropriate?

    In a series of articles, Public Square is exploring common threads from CNU's recent Freeways Without Futures 2021. This article explores recent proposals for highway caps.
    In our previous coverage of Freeways Without Futures 2021 , we looked at three ways to tame major highways . One possible solution is to cover the highway. Highway caps, also known as lids, can be a contentious topic among urbanists. Critics argue that highway caps are little more than greenwashing...Read more

  • Three ways to tame major highways

    CNU’s biennial Freeways Without Futures report is out now! In a series of articles, Public Square is exploring common threads from the report. This is article 3.
    Nearly every city in America has one: the big highway that runs across its center. It separates neighborhoods, pollutes residents’ homes, and drives disinvestment, but since it’s been deemed vital for traffic, there’s little impetus to do anything about it. Freeways Without Futures 2021 tells the...Read more

  • The return of the parkway

    CNU’s biennial Freeways Without Futures report is out now! In a series of articles, Public Square is exploring common threads from the report. This is article 2.
    Prior to the Interstate era, the landscaped parkway was the predominant way to get in and around cities. Examples from this earlier period, like the Emerald Necklace in Boston, show that parkways can carry substantial traffic and provide a pleasant setting for recreation even as traffic moves...Read more

  • Covid was an extraordinary experiment in rethinking street design

    Let's learn all we can from the lightning fast efforts to adapt streets to provide public space during the pandemic. The biggest lesson: Don't be afraid to experiment with streets.
    Last year, when elected city leaders and their planning staffs watched in horror as the pandemic ravaged local economies nationwide, many, if not most of them took the opportunity to experiment with their city’s street network. Those that enjoyed the flexibility of a tight street grid tried...Read more