User:Milesjtal/Car

Social issues[edit]
Mass production of personal motor vehicles in the United States and other developed countries with extensive territories such as Australia, Argentina, and France vastly increased individual and group mobility and greatly increased and expanded economic development in urban, suburban, exurban and rural areas.[citation needed]

In the United States, the transport divide and car dependency resulting from domination of car-based transport systems presents barriers to employment in low-income neighbourhoods, with many low-income individuals and families forced to run cars they cannot afford in order to maintain their income. Dependency on automobiles by African Americans may result in exposure to the hazards of driving while black and other types of racial discrimination related to buying, financing and insuring them.

The popularization of cars led to urbanization as cities expanded to accommodate the influx of commuters and the demand for infrastructure like roads and highways surged. The urban planning for Interstate and highway systems, initially implemented in the 1950s impacted disadvantaged communities.

Based on U.S. Department of Transportation figures, over 475,000 households and one million individuals were forced to relocate across the country due to federal highway construction. Massive highways divided neighborhoods, casting shadows and causing disruption to pedestrian life, while also exacerbating air pollution and decreasing property values. Communities suffered the loss of churches, green areas, and entire sections of housing. Additionally, they lost local small businesses, which served as vital sources of employment and economic activity, particularly important in areas already grappling with discriminatory zoning practices, lack of investment, and population decline.

An example of this was in the lower-income neighborhoods in Syracuse, New York, especially the 15th Ward community. The state of New York wanted to build a highway that went right through the neighborhood which housed nearly 90% of Syracuse’s African American population. According to an account from an article titled Racism by Design: The Building of Interstate 81 written by by Jay A. Fernandez, a journalist for the American Civil Liberties Union, local protests fell on deaf ears, leading to the demolition of homes, churches, and businesses, forcing over 1,300 families to relocate. In the ensuing five decades, the 15th Ward community endured widespread declines: employment opportunities dwindled, housing conditions worsened, schools suffered, and public health deteriorated. Simultaneously, crime rates, pollution levels, and poverty rates soared, exacerbating the challenges faced by the community.