How Highways Tear Our Social Fabric Apart — and the Challenge of Measuring It (Luca Maria Aiello)

How Highways Tear Our Social Fabric Apart — and the Challenge of Measuring It (Luca Maria Aiello)

Author: StreetsblogUSA March 11, 2025 Duration: 23:20

Decades of research prove that highways tear apart the physical fabric of our cities,  segregating neighborhoods by race and income and making it harder for anyone outside a car to access the jobs, services and communities they rely on — at least if those things happen to be located on the other side of a dangerous road.

But what impact do highways have on the invisible social fabric of our places — and does the internet provide a bridge between these disconnected communities, or only a digital mirror of the sharp divides that highways draw between our neighborhoods? 

Today on the Brake, we're talking to data science researcher Luca Maria Aiello from IT University of Copenhagen, who found a fascinating way to quantify exactly how much downtown highways disconnect our social networks, in addition to our sidewalk, bike lane and transit networks.  And along the way, we discuss what those divisions cost us in social mobility, democratic cohesion, and real dollars and cents. 


You hear a lot about electric cars and futuristic transit, but what about the fundamental shift required to build cities where driving isn't a daily necessity? That's the terrain explored on The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast. Hosted by the team at StreetsblogUSA, this series moves beyond the headlines to engage with the activists, planners, writers, and community members who are actively reimagining American streets. Each conversation digs into the real-world work of dismantling car dependency, examining the policy choices, cultural norms, and historical decisions that got us here. The discussions are grounded in the intersecting categories of society, commentary, culture, and news, offering a nuanced lens on everything from bike lane debates and public transit equity to the subtle ways our built environment shapes daily life. This isn't just a technical talk about infrastructure; it's about the human stories and the political movement fighting for safer, more connected, and less congested communities. Tune in for a podcast that acts as a vital pit stop for understanding the complex, often frustrating, but ultimately hopeful push to take our foot off the gas and build a different future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 89

The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Would a Car-Light City Really be 'Quiet'? (Dr. Erica Walker) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:44
Epidemiologists around the world have sounded the alarm about the health risks of rising noise pollution, and called out cars as one of the largest sources of the crisis. In our quest to make cities quieter, though, nois…
Why Americans Don't Drive Less When Gas Prices Soar (Dr. Ian Walker) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
Even as gas prices hit historic highs, many Americans aren't driving any less — because so many of their communities are so car-dependent, they don't really have a choice. But what about people who could skip the pump bu…
Why Every City Needs A Car Master Plan (Cathy Tuttle) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:37
Countless communities across America say they're planning for a future where more residents walk, bike, and roll to get around. So why do transportation leaders spend so much time drafting "pedestrian master plans" and "…