Getting Out of a Spot

Abstract

With the rise of the automobile and the easy access to suburbia, there was a shift in American cities from accommodating and welcoming density to accommodating cars. With cities hollowed out, but able to accept thousands of parkers, a vibrant, multifaceted world of handsome buildings, varied activities, and casual encounters was lost. Innovative thinking regarding technology took a backseat to mimicking the ascendant suburban landscape. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, automotive access remains codified in finance, codes, and traditional thinking, hampering our now revitalizing urban environments. Practitioners, policy makers, and architects can once again create cities at once unique, welcoming, and at the forefront of innovative thinking. New technologies, smart phone applications, and entrepreneurial initiative are changing urban life. By systematizing these disparate innovations, the necessary elements for vibrant streetscapes and better urban form can be created.