American suburbia plays a significant role in defining the American dream.
It paints a picture of an idealized life, where a home is surrounded by a white picket fence, a well-maintained lawn, and two family cars parked in the driveway symbolizing individual success.
This image materialized in the 1950s, a postwar era when American nationalism was at its peak. It was a time when being an American was seen as something to be proud of.
Greater urban areas evolved into what would become American suburbia, a transformation popularized by William Levitt, widely considered the father of modern suburbia.
Those who commuted into cities for work were dubbed “commuters,” though the existing infrastructure was largely insufficient to handle the daily influx of people. The solution? Automobiles.
Once exclusive to the wealthy, car ownership surged as General Motors and Ford became dominant forces in the American economy.
To accommodate this postwar boom, a massive infrastructure project was undertaken: the Interstate Highway System (IHS).
Highways were built across the nation, providing commuters with direct access into urban areas, enabling business and commerce to thrive.
When analyzing the effects of the Interstate Highway System on America’s economy and society, it is crucial to consider the mass migration of primarily white citizens into suburban areas.
This migration, often referred to as “white flight,” occurred during the second half of the 20th century. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the suburban population increased from around 40 million in 1970 to over 100 million by 2000.
Sociologist Richard Florida’s research reveals that many white Americans left cities in search of better schools, lower crime rates, and more spacious living environments.
The effects of this migration were significant and far-reaching, contributing to urban decay, increased racial segregation, and growing economic disparities for people of color.
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However, these economic disparities were felt most acutely in urban areas, largely due to urban disinvestment and the destructive impact of highway construction that divided and dismantled vibrant neighborhoods.
For many predominantly Black and brown communities, the creation of the interstate highway system was devastating, and its effects continue to affect them today.
The Yellow Book
The mid-20th century was a period of transformation in America.
It was then that President Dwight D. Eisenhower, drawing from his wartime experiences in Europe and the logistical challenges faced by military operations, envisioned a revolutionary network of highways that would alter the American landscape.
This vision culminated in the creation of the Interstate Highway System (IHS) in 1956, a monumental project designed to link cities, rural areas, and regions like never before.
The system was intended to serve not only national defense purposes but also to boost economic prosperity and mobility.
As construction began, the American landscape changed dramatically. The sound of machinery echoed as engineers planned routes that would cut through mountains, span plains, cross rivers, and reach into cities.
Highways like Interstate-95 dominated the East Coast, stretching from Maine to Miami, while Interstate 90 spanned across time zones, connecting Seattle with Boston.
Communities that had been isolated were suddenly linked to major urban centers, and by 1991, the IHS had grown to 41,000 miles, covering over 90% of the United States.
The costs of construction were staggering 114 billion USD, or roughly $500 billion in today’s dollars, was spent on building and maintaining the IHS through 1991.
This hefty price tag made many in Congress hesitant to approve the system, especially given that it had only been successful in Germany, a country the U.S. had helped defeat just a few years earlier.
However, the publication of the “Yellow Book,” released by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) under the leadership of its head, helped sway public opinion.
The Yellow Book contained detailed illustrations showing how the highway systems would integrate with metropolitan areas, identifying neighborhoods, routes, and new spurs, belts, and offramps.
It played a pivotal role in convincing Congress to approve funding for the IHS, as it helped lawmakers visualize and understand the system’s potential benefits.
“Urban Blight”
While Congress focused on the benefits of innovation, city residents witnessed the destruction and geographic segregation that came with the construction of highways, particularly in underserved, majority-minority neighborhoods.
In areas such as the Western Addition and the Fillmore District in San Francisco, redevelopment efforts often occurred with little resistance, causing irrevocable damage to the cultural fabric and vibrancy of these communities.
The Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota, home to many Black and brown residents, was obliterated by the I-94 project, resulting in the loss of 300 businesses and the displacement of 600 families.
In many cases, white leaders at local, state, and federal levels deliberately routed infrastructure projects through predominantly minority neighborhoods, knowing they would face less opposition. Their aim was to clear what they referred to as “urban blight.”
In New York, Robert Moses, one of the most influential urban planners in American history, was responsible for major construction projects in New York City and Long Island.
In a 1959 speech, Moses stated: “Our categorical imperative is action to clear the slums…we can’t let minorities dictate that this century-old chore will be put off another generation… we must go right through cities and not around them.”
His statue still stands on Long Island today. This mindset was not unique to New York. President Eisenhower appointed a team of mostly white men in the 1960s who prioritized highway efficiency over the welfare of low-income housing.
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The effects of these projects were tangible: they worsened air quality, eliminated pedestrian walkways, created physical barriers with road overpasses, and drove down property values, further entrenching poverty in Black communities.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 475,000 households and more than one million people were displaced across the nation due to federal highway construction projects.
Many neighborhoods suffered severe disruption due to the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act. However, there were instances of communities successfully fighting back against the destruction of their neighborhoods.