Interstate Highways

Paper Summary:

This paper is a discussion on how America's interstate highways have affected its commercial growth over the years. Included in this study are the following topics: post roads and early travel routes, growth and sprawl benefits and effects, right-of-way and eminent domain, the role of the railroad in human and freight travel, the role of the automobile, and a short study on Route 66 in its heyday.

Outline:
Early European Models
Early American Travel Routes
The Railroad
The Automobile
Route 66
Infrastructure Issues
The Interstate's Role in Growth and Sprawl

From the Paper:

"The highway, or Interstate as it is formally called, has facilitated a drastic growth in American lifestyle, planning, and design, in urban, rural, and suburban regions. Some contend that the invention, production, and utilization of the automobile created the need for a broad network of interstates, while others say that this relationship was formulated the other way around. However, most will agree that the highway is a more efficient means of travel and of transporting goods. Additionally, it creates opportunity for growth along its corridors--from suburbs to shopping malls to rural rest stops, many businesses have boomed due to their proximity to the highway."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Association of Railroads. http://www.aar.org/PubCommon/Documents/AboutTheIndustry/Overview.pdfy-
• Duany, Andres et al. Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and Decline of the American Dream. (c) 2000 North Point Press, Inc.
• Gelernter, Mark. A History of American Architecture. (c)1999 University Press of New England, Hanover, NH.
• Gibbons, Gail. From Path to Highway: The Story of the Boston Post Road. (c) 1986 HarperCollins
• Kostof, Spiro. A History of Architecture. (c)1985 Oxford University Press, New York.

More papers on Interstate Highways:

• Essay # 45716 : "Highways and Urban Sprawl"
• Essay # 7789 : "The Federal Highway Act of 1956"
• Analytical Essay # 128438 : "Boston's Big Dig Project"

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