When we think about the future of the Scajaquada Expressway, there have been some people, like Matt Ricchiazzi, who have been outspoken in keeping all options on the table, including a parkway free of cars. Despite how ludicrous that idea sounds to some people, there are some cities out there that are actually considering this type of progressive move to a car-less culture. In fact, the German town of Hamburg has a 20-year plan to do just such a thing. There is a movement to reclaim lands that have been previously destroyed by road systems. You can read about this fascinating plan in Raw for Beauty. According to R4B, the move will create 17,000 acres of green space that will literally encompass 40% of the city.

Obviously the DOT/City is not going to consider anything of this nature for Buffalo, but this type of radical thinking does foreshadow ways that we can reclaim our city for the people, not for cars trying to get from one place to another in the quickest amount of time.

Somewhere along the line we seem to have forgotten our priorities. We have been fed a lot of ‘Robert Mosian’ BS for decades. Now that we’re so used to how everything is operating, we’ve lost touch with what’s important in our urban environments. If you look at old photos of Buffalo, the way it was originally designed, with the beautiful Olmsted park system running through it, and around it, you will see what I mean. That was real progress… not the remnants we are left with today.

Cars are ‘where it’s at’ for now… but we must begin to put people first eventually.