Prioritizing People Over Cars
As the increase in urban population, more and more green spaces were replaced with buildings and roads. If we do not embrace strategic, high-density development, cities will increasingly encroach on surrounding natural spaces. That not only leads to urban residents risk suffering from health problems, deteriorating social cohesion, but also loss of economic opportunities as the appeal of urban life fades. Below are two examples of urban parks that develop green spaces take the place of road. Madrid Río Park, Madrid, Spain Madrid Río in 2004 and 2011, before and after burying the highways. After a massive highway was built on both sides of the Manzanares River in Madrid in the 1970s, nearby neighborhoods declined and most Madrileños avoided the region entirely. In 2003, however, Mayor Alberto Ruíz-Gallardón implemented his vision to bury the highways and move traffic through tunnels instead . Ultimately, however, the river banks were freed for pedestrians and more than...