Since the days of Robert Moses, communities throughout New York City have navigated a legacy of highways that divided neighborhoods from one another and complicated access to other parts of the city. For decades, these same communities have advocated for plans that could reverse this legacy, helping restitch geographies and repair social cohesion. Today, the debates about highway infrastructure have expanded to confront the reality that much of this infrastructure is in need of critical updates to extend its useful life and prepare for the future of mobility.

In light of speculation and proposals on the BQE and Sheridan Expressway, New York City is in a race against time when it comes to dealing with the fate and future of its highway system. Practical questions of engineering standards, project delivery, freight transportation demands, congestion, community development and environmental impact all converge when considering what the highways of the future will look like. As new projects arise and old projects are overhauled, what does this mean for planning, innovative design thinking, and policy reform? Does the retrofit of the Westside Highway/Route 9A provide an ideal template for adapting to an evolving future? Will we recognize the opportunities to address community sustainability and transportation evolution?

Join Open House New York and The Gotham Center for New York History for a critical discussion on the future of highways in New York City with Olga Gorbunova, PE, Principal, Stantec; Owen Gutfreund, Associate Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, Hunter College; Adam Lubinsky, PhD, AICP, Managing Principal, WXY; and Craig Ruyle, PE, Regional Director, NYSDOT; moderated by Amy Plitt, Editor, Curbed NY.

AIA CES: 1.75 LU | HSW

ACCESSIBILITY
The Graduate Center is ADA compliant. CART and ASL interpretation can be provided upon request. To request accommodations, please email engagement@gc.cuny.edu by January 28, 2020.

This program is part of The Moving City: Transportation Infrastructures of New York, a year-long series of tours, conversations, and debates about the future of transportation and mobility in New York City.