In our century
In 1956, when Congress allocated $33.8 billion to be spent over 13 years building the National Interstate Highway System, $16 billion of which would go to urban segments, cities began planning for the roads’ construction. A special feature in the August 1956 edition of The American City announcing the new program stated, “Never has the need for close attention to urban planning been more important.” Large cities that would serve as terminal and intersecting points in particular, the article stated, needed to be involved in routing the highways through and around their cities so they could direct economic and land development and take “the opportunity to direct the express highway through distressed areas and permitting it to serve as a means of clearing certain spots of urban blight.”
The call for planning officials to be engaged in the highway-building challenge was echoed in a paper delivered at the March 1957 meeting of the American Society of Planning Officials and excerpted in The American City’s June 1957 issue. John Howard, associate professor of city planning for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote, “I submit that the purpose of highways is not — or should not be — the carrying of traffic. That is the function of highways. The purpose is to serve the community. If a highway is so designed and built that it produces a pattern of land development and population distribution that worsens the livability and efficiency of a metropolitan area rather than bettering it, that highway is a disservice to the community — even if it carries traffic to capacity, and all the traffic seems to want to go where it is carried.”
Howard went on to criticize the U.S. Highway Act of 1956 for placing responsibility and authority for route location and design in the state highway departments and failing to require consideration of local plans or appeals. That omission left only the hope that states would consider local ideas, and that local planners would speak up promptly. “If it is too late for any change, the only alternative is to make our future comprehensive plans fit the highways, as best we can. We will then find out what chances we have missed.”
The January 1957 edition carried a description of the first urban section of the highway system to begin construction in St. Louis. The Missouri State Highway Commission awarded the $2 million project, which called for 0.6 miles of grading, retaining walls, bridge substructure and concrete pavement. Rex Whitton, chief engineer for the commission, wrote that, “Actually, this contract missed being the first of any type in the 13-year program, by less than 10 minutes, and only through the arbritrary decision that we made when arranging the letting.”
Previous “In our century” Stories
- In our century — April 1917
Cities establish and support community gardens to feed residents, clean up vacant land and support war efforts - In our century — October 1936
Cities work to eradicate sub-standard housing and create safer options for low-income residents - In our century — November 1916
Cities and counties open libraries to supply free access to books and educational materials for children and adults - In our century — September 1918
Cities build memorials as community buildings instead of obelisks to pay tribute to soldiers in the Great War - In our century — January 1941
Cities develop public relations efforts to inform residents about municipal activities and improve customer service - In our century — December 1930
Cities do what they can to put residents to work in the early days of the Great Depression - In our century — October 1915
Winter weather regularly demands that cities improve practices for clearing snow and ice from streets - In our century — January 1911
As aviation takes off, cities make use of the quick mode of transportation and secure their spots on the aerial highways - In our century — May 1928
Police departments adopt radio technology to dispatch patrol officers more quickly and catch, deter criminals - In our century — December 1913
Cities adopt the city manager form of government to improve administration and bring efficiency to operations - In our century — October 1913
Cities take action in the earliest days of motion pictures to regulate content and ensure theater safety - In our century — July 1935
Cities install parking meters in business districts to improve traffic flow, reduce car damage and generate revenue - In our century — April 1910
Cities organize July Fourth events, regulate fireworks to reduce Independence Day injuries and deaths - In our century — May 1915
Cities seize revenue-generating opportunities to provide ice and refrigeration to residents and businesses - In our century — May 1914
Officials invest in maps to guide public projects, improve city administration and communicate plans to the public - In our century — September 1915
Technology develops to ensure the safe movement of trains, cars and emergency vehicles through city streets - In our century — July 1914
Among the early efforts to improve public health, cities invent and seek weapons of mass fly destruction - In our century — August 1913
When bond issues fail, cities seek alternative funding for infrastructure improvements and other public projects - In our century — August 1914
Cities improve cleanliness and public health by strategically placing public restrooms and encouraging their use - In our century — December 1914
Cities begin the tradition of decorating enormous public Christmas trees to celebrate the holidays - In our century — June 1910
Government accounting methods and reports mature from vague and incomplete records to standard formats. - In our century — October 1909
Investigations into corruption and mismanagement lead to (some) reforms in government policies and operations. - In our century — January 1913
Cities experiment with road surfaces and set out methods for funding road construction and maintenance. - In our century — September 1909
Limits on outdoor advertising are set through cities’ hard-fought battles over billboard sizes, messages and locations. - In our century — August 1911
Fire departments gain authority, modern equipment to prevent and improve response times to structure fires. - In our century — June 1910
Street lights become symbols of communities’ economic success, and lighting technology efficiency evolves. - In our century — September 1909
With urban growth comes city leaders’ desire to control and direct it for the community’s greatest benefit. - In our century — September 1909
Cities embrace playgrounds as valuable public assets for children’s safety, health and social development. - In our century — September 1909
Women embrace public causes, work to improve their communities and expand their societal roles. - In our century — March 1910
Cities develop methods, mechanisms and regulations for residential solid waste collection and disposal. - In our century — November 1909
Occupancy laws and social workers emerge in the early 1900s to clean up inner-city neighborhoods. - The way we were
Publisher’s son remembers American City & County‘s roots.
