Case Study: The Embarcadero
Although no longer standing, the Embarcadero Freeway is an important piece of modern San Francisco’s history—its final demolition was pivotal in that it provoked necessary discussion about the future of land use and transportation in the city. The highway was intended to run along San Francisco’s waterfront, connecting the two major bridges. Construction began in the 1950s; however, progressive San Franciscans stopped the freeway project in 1958—fearing expansion of automobile traffic and disconnection of the waterfront. Their vision was not fully realized until an earthquake destroyed the partially built highway in 1989 [7]. At the time, some blamed the Embarcadero’s destruction as the cause of reduced tourism in key areas, while others saw it as a great opportunity to reconnect downtown with the waterfront [1]. Ultimately, the city quickly redeveloped the Waterfront, and property values shot up almost 300 percent [29]. Because the Embarcadero’s destruction opened up land aside from the immediate Waterfront area (like South Beach, for example), many also believe it was a catalyst for overall neighborhood renewal in the 1990s and 2000s, and in some cases, for gentrification. Numbers show it was not, however, a catalyst for public transit ridership [29]. Even so, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (implemented in the 70s) received considerably more attention after the Embarcadero was completely removed.
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