National links: Baltimore’s “highway to nowhere” may be dismantled

Baltimore officials introduced legislation to eliminate a divisive urban highway. How a group of UK women architects made city living more inclusive. Buildings could soon be a source of energy.

Dismantling Baltimore’s “Highway to Nowhere”: Baltimore officials are calling for the infamous “Highway to Nowhere” to be removed or retrofitted using federal funds designated for reconnecting communities. Tearing down the urban highway that displaced 1,500 residents would reconnect razed parts of the city and undo some of the cultural and economic damage the highway inflicted on the community. (Ron Cassie | Baltimore Magazine)

Women architects fight back against male-centered designs: French Architect Le Corbusier created measurements for British cities that catered to six-foot-tall men. This led the Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative to pioneer a new way of designing spaces that is more inclusive of women, children, the elderly, and disabled people. (Oliver Wainwright | The Guardian)

Buildings could be at the center of a battery revolution: A team at the Chalmers University of Technology has devised a rechargeable cement battery that could turn a building into an energy source. The cement building blocks use a coated fiber mesh to create a high-performing battery that doubles as building material. It’s not ready for production but offers fascinating potential. (Chris Young | Interesting Engineering)

How capitalism is shaping architecture: In his new book, Matthew Soules documents how financial systems are reshaping the built environment of cities. From ultra-thin luxury towers that mostly benefit investors to zombie-like neighborhoods with empty homes, he details how capitalism is creating new types of urban forms. (Nate Berg | Fast Company)

Australia’s pre-pandemic traffic is back: Most Australians who are traveling back to work are choosing the car in greater percentages than before COVID-19, which is adding congestion on the roads, according to new data. Remote work has only made a small dent in this congestion. Meanwhile, public transport has not bounced back due to fears of crowds, among other concerns. (Josh Nicholas | The Guardian)

Alissa Guther contributed to these summaries.

Quote of the Week

“Parking drives so much about the design of buildings and the cost of housing in our city. … This opens up so much possibility, especially to develop the smaller-scale projects that so many of our constituents point to as they tell us the kind of projects and housing they want to see in their communities.”

Minneapolis Council President Lisa Bender in the Star Tribune during a vote by the Minneapolis City Council to eliminate minimum parking requirements on new development.

This week on the podcast, Chris Puchalsky and Andrew Simpson of the Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability discuss the Philadelphia transportation plan.