Transportation Infrastructure:Landscape Infrastructure__Abstract

In 1956, the U.S. federal government enacted the Federal Highway Act, and the interstate system was destined to change the face of cities across the nation. (Weingroff) These superhighways were seen as great opportunities by most city planning officials. Their construction was seen as a means to rapidly bring people to and from the city. (Kreyling, 29)While the interstate system does serve an undeniably important transportation role in today’s automobile reliant economy, it also functions as a great divider of the urban fabric in many cities. Bridges serve as vehicular connectors of the divisions, but often the only pedestrian connection is a 4’ wide sidewalk flanked by city automobile traffic. The Broadway street bridge over Interstate 40 in Nashville is a good example of this. The interstates also bring undesired noise into the interior of cities. Many cities are building parks over highways to reconnect the urban fabric, increase public green space, reduce unwanted noise, and to help encourage further development, but is this method of using landscape infrastructure to cover transportation infrastructure effective in achieving these goals?             

            Nashville is a city which invited the interstate in the early 1960’s. Today, the interstate loops the downtown district, like a “necklace adorning the central city”(Kreyling, 30). There appears to be an opportunity to repair some of the urban fabric that is today split by I-40 between Church Street and 12th Avenue South by building a deck park. By conducting an extensive study of cities that have built deck parks and using their effectiveness in connection, adding green space and encouraging development, I seek to discover if a deck park in Nashville is a viable option to serve the social, ecological, and economic goals of the city.