The Rampart, The Traffic Artery, and the Park; Designing for the city regions of Antwerp

1.3
Optimism, Realism,
and Pessimism
On the love and hate relationship between people and the
car, and the effect it has had, and still has, on our cities.
The car, a means of transport that, in its relatively short existence, has perhaps
had the most effect on how we structure cities. A relationship that started out
quite optimistic, with large utopian plans and dreams has, starting half way
through the seventies, turned to realism, in light of rising traffic congestion,
environmental awareness, and limited resources. A realism, that perhaps in
recent years has turned to pessimism, with rising global traffic congestion,
increasingly worsening climate change, and growing concerns concerning
air and noise pollution. As a result, a shift is now starting to take shape away
from the (individually-owned) car to other types of transport. A shift that puts
a larger focus on cleaner, safer, and more efficient mobility, including a wide
range of modes of transportation, like public transport, (electric) bicycles,
autonomous and/or shared vehicles, and even old-fashioned walking. And
with this, we see concepts (re)emerge like the 30-minute-city, decentralised or
polycentric cities, and transit-oriented development (TOD). Concepts that can
have large spatial, social, and economic consequences in present day cities.
We increasingly see cities removing or hiding their highways, a
trend not just motivated by climate or health concerns, but also because of a
growing lack of space in the inner-city fabric. Space has become a valuable
commodity in cities, with many cities struggling to sustain a healthy housing
market they are often looking at reclaiming space in harbours, or even on top
of highways, mostly built during the sixties.
The following pages will explore the rise and fall of the car in cities,
from the start of the twentieth century till present day. It will subsequently, trace
the current trend in the shift from the car to more sustainable means of transport,
and illustrate which spatial effect this has on cities.
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