In 1948, inspired by changes to federal law, Massachusetts government officials started hatching a plan to build multiple highways circling and cutting through the heart of Boston, making steady progress through the 1950s. But when officials began to hold public hearings in 1960, as it became clear what this plan would entail―including a disproportionate impact on poor communities of color―the people pushed back. Activists, many with experience in the civil rights and antiwar protests, began to organize.Linking archival research, ethnographic fieldwork, and oral history, Karilyn Crockett in People before Highways offers ground-level analysis of the social, political, and environmental significance of a local anti-highway protest and its lasting national implications. The story of how an unlikely multiracial coalition of urban and suburban residents, planners, and activists emerged to stop an interstate highway is one full of suspenseful twists and surprises, including for the actors themselves. And yet, the victory and its aftermath are undeniable: federally funded mass transit expansion, a linear central city park, and a highway-less urban corridor that serves as a daily reminder of the power and efficacy of citizen-led city making.
✔ Author(s): Karilyn Crockett
✔ Title: People before Highways: Boston Activists, Urban Planners, and a New Movement for City Making
✔ Rating : 4.6 out of 5 base on (17 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1625342977
✔ ISBN-13: 9781625342973
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about People before Highways by Karilyn Crockett
Jillian Neel
What a rollercoaster of emotions! I laughed, cried, and everything in between. The author's ability to evoke such raw feelings is truly commendable. It's a story that will stay with me forever.
Lucy Garraway
I loved the powerful messages hidden within the story. The book tackled important social issues and made me ponder the world we live in. It's a must-read for everyone.
Violet Tyler
I'm already planning to reread this book. It's one of those stories that you can revisit again and again, discovering new layers of meaning each time.
