Abstract

Architecture

The United States is not the first civilization to be obsessed by road building; the Roman and Inca empires come immediately to mind. But their highways were simply connections between cities: by contrast, the amazing 41,000-mile U.S. Interstate Highway System is a self-contained network, along which cities may or may not be "plugged in." Expressways superimpose a new, geographic form and the curvilinear geometry of speed on the familiar grid pattern of cities. Their scale is commensurate with the vast spread of the modern metropolis, and where there are no strong topographic features, expressways could contribute an orientation and visual order. Searching for the shortest and cheapest route, highway engineers often let their concrete pythons loose on parks and historic areas, and have become an apocalyptic menace to the habitat of minority groups and other low-income families. An action plan for the full development of Linear City, prepared by architects and planners is now awaiting final approval by the New York City Planning Commission.