UCLA Report Shows How Freeway Construction Last Century Was Used to Destroy and Divide Communities of Color. - Streetsblog California

"A new report by UCLA's Institute of Transportation Studies answers that question conclusively by examining the legacy of California's freeway construction and illustrates that the state's highway network-much of it built in the 1960s-inflicted deep and measurable harm on low-income residents and communities of color. Using a mix of quantitative data analysis and detailed qualitative research, the study traces how major freeway projects reshaped neighborhoods in Pasadena, Pacoima (in Los Angeles), Sacramento, and San José, documenting patterns of displacement, environmental burden, and long-term community disruption."

"Demolition and displacement were the most visible and immediate effects of the freeways, but toxic pollution, noise, economic decline, and stigmatization remained long after. In suburban areas, white, affluent interests often succeeded in pushing freeways to more powerless neighborhoods. Massive roadway construction complemented other destructive governmental actions such as urban renewal and redlining. Freeways and suburbanization were key components in the creation of a spatial mismatch between jobs and housing for people of color, with few transportation options to overcome it."

California's highway network, largely built in the 1960s, reshaped neighborhoods in Pasadena, Pacoima, Sacramento, and San José through demolition and displacement of residents. Freeway construction imposed persistent toxic pollution, noise, economic decline, and stigmatization on low-income residents and communities of color. In many suburban contexts, white and affluent interests redirected roadway projects into less powerful neighborhoods. Massive roadway construction reinforced urban renewal and redlining, producing a spatial mismatch between jobs and housing for people of color and limiting effective transportation alternatives. The cumulative effects are systemic, long-lasting, and create clear grounds for restorative justice and targeted policy interventions.

Read at Streetsblog