Faced with intolerable congestion and noxious pollution, cities
around the world are rethinking their reliance on automobiles. In
the United States a loosely organized livability movement seeks to
reduce car use by reconfiguring urban space into denser,
transit-oriented, walkable forms, a development pattern also
associated with smart growth and new urbanism. Through a detailed
case study of San Francisco, Jason Henderson examines how this is
not just a struggle over what type of transportation is best for
the city, but a series of ideologically charged political fights
over issues of street space, public policy, and social justice.
Historically San Francisco has hosted many activist
demonstrations over its streets, from the freeway revolts of the
1960s to the first Critical Mass bicycle rides decades later. Today
the city's planning and advocacy establishment is changing zoning
laws to limit the number of parking spaces, encouraging new
car-free housing near transit stations, and applying "transit
first" policies, such as restricted bus lanes. Yet Henderson warns
that the city's accomplishments should not be romanticized. Despite
significant gains by livability advocates, automobiles continue to
dominate the streets, and the city's financially strained bus
system is slow and often unreliable.
Both optimistic and cautionary, Henderson argues that ideology
must be understood as part of the struggle for sustainable cities
and that three competing points of view -- progressive, neoliberal,
and conservative -- have come to dominate the contemporary
discourse about urban mobility. Consistent with its iconic role as
an incubator of environmental, labor, civil rights, and peace
movements, San Francisco offers a compelling example of how the
debate over sustainable urban transportation may unfold both in the
United States and globally.
General
Imprint: |
University of Massachusetts Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2013 |
First published: |
March 2013 |
Authors: |
Jason Henderson
|
Dimensions: |
226 x 150 x 18mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
256 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-55849-999-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-55849-999-7 |
Barcode: |
9781558499997 |
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