WI: Urbanized America

America is most likely that most suburbanized society in the world. We do have several large cities but we have many more small cities surrounded by large swaths of suburbs. This has had good and bad effects. On the positive side, most adult Americans are home owners with relatively good homes.
However, I think the negatives out way the positivies even though I know most Americans disagree with me. Too much land is consumed by our suburbs, they waste energy, our cities are boring. and we have terrible transit. However, the worst effect of suburbs are its effect on American culture. Suburbs encourage NIMBYism,
Not-in-my-back-yard-ism. People want their McMansions and once they have them they want low taxes and are unwilling to have their taxes fund culture or even education.
What PODs are necessary to avoid this? What PODs will lead to have America having more vibrant large cities with thriving and vibrant urban culture.

I think we need to start in the late-19th century after the Spanish-American war. America needs a stronger City Beautiful movement. Let's say after the Spanish-American war, the federal and state governments decide that since America has an empire, it must have cities that rival Europe. As a result the federal and state governments spend money making American cities majestic and splended and encourage greater urbanization than in OTL. By 1910, a little more than half of all Americans live in urban areas. States pass annexation laws as well that allow cities to annex land as necessary, with state goverment approval of course.
The urbanization of America contiues in the post-World War I boom. The largest cities encourage business man to build subways or elevate lines and build developments near the city. LA becomes the rising city of the 1920s and quickly achieves a population of over 1 million. The Depression hits on schedule and all of America languishes between 1929 and 1933. More rural Americans migrate to the cities, especially those living in the Dust Ball. FDR used urban development projects as a way of stimulating economic growth. Cities are
encouraged to build parks, museums, and other cultural institutions.
World War II greatly revives the American economy but by 1945 America has had nearly half a century of pro-urban government policy at the federal and state level. The pro-urban policy continues after the war. The federal and state government encourages developers to build mixed use neighborhoods filled with apartment and town houses and passes legistation that encourages families to purchase apratments or town houses. The Eisenhower administration still builds the interstate system but it is built differently. The interstates do not bypass cities, once an interstate reaches a city or a town it stops. People need to drive through the city or town to reach the next interstate high way. The interstate is designed to allow people to travel by car from city to city and state but not bypass any city.
The result is that America is more urbanized in 2003. NYC is still the largest city with a population of 14 million as oppossed to OTL's 8 million. LA is the second largest city with a population of 10 million. Chicago, Philadelphia, Buffalo, San Francisco, Cleaveland, DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and New Orleans have populations of over a million as well. Hundreads of other cities have populations in the hundreads of thousands. Most other Americans live in towns with populations in the tens of thousands.

Those with ideas for reaching the objectives of this WI are free to post. Those who thing this WI is silly may post but I request that they use respectful language

The Eisenhower administration still builds the interstate system but it is built differently. The interstates do not bypass cities, once an interstate reaches a city or a town it stops. People need to drive through the city or town to reach the next interstate high way. The interstate is designed to allow people to travel by car from city to city and state but not bypass any city.


The interstate were not built to move the people of the US it was built to move the Army from one place to another . The interstate budget for building it came out of the Defence Dept in the 50's and 60's .

As if I want to dive throught every hick town and stinking city to go some were over 100 miles . Also how would you like to be in a city during rush hour with all the semi's diving throught town .

Price of iteams would be much higher as they would have to spend more time on the roads.

Also have you every drive on some of the old highways like US 66 that goese though every town and city it adds days to the trip.










Those with ideas for reaching the objectives of this WI are free to post. Those who thing this WI is silly may post but I request that they use respectful language[/QUOTE]

"Suburbs encourage NIMBYism, Not-in-my-back-yard-ism. People want their McMansions and once they have them they want low taxes and are unwilling to have their taxes fund culture or even education."

Actually, I don't think that true. Most of the time NIMBYism is about the construction of power plants or garbage incinerators. I have never heard of protests against the building of theaters or opera houses, except where the construction of said buildings are shown to have an adverse impact on the surrounding area. Sometimes projects are just planned for the wrong location.

I think your going about it the wrong way, the City Beautiful Movement would more likely create suburbs. Not everyone wants to live in apartments or row houses. Paris has suburbs.

There wouldn't be interstate highways, but intrastate highways. Many highways were design (as mentioned above) to pass through cities. However, years down the line it was discovered what a poor idea that was. Highway traffic is stopped by crosstown traffic and just a few pedestrians getting killed - not to mention the commotion having all those 18 wheelers diverted through residential streets when the highway is temporarily closed - will have people crying for means to seperate highway traffic from regular road traffic.

Usually, someone - at least once a generation - comes around with the back to the country movement. You see it all the time. The 1960s would have been the most likely time. Nothing will be permanent, since everything is a Movement that ebbs and flows with each year.

First whe speed up the design of the super Trains, the passanger train people saw the coming Aero Craft vs Train. In fall 1941 the two Locomotive Companies unveiled their new super streamlined 120~150 MPH Locomotives. The first orders were to be filled by summer 1942. Of course whe know what happened dec 41. So lets set this back 2 years, by 1940 the first new Express trains start running, NY -Philly =2 hr, NY -Wash =4, NY- Chicago =8. In 1941 new dedicated track lines open, the speed jumps to 150+

WW2 stops the new planned lines but by 1947 the train companies are rebuilding and planning 200 MPH bullet trains.

In 1946 Schwinn Bicycle company decides to resume manufacture of the 28" Man's Bicycle [OTL they decided to wait for the post war shortages to end--Wish someone would tell them they are over] with a Major ad campiagn, saying buy a Bike while waiting for the auto companies to fill the backorders. By 1948 The cities are again full of Men on Bikes. Lots of Men put off buying Cars, completly, and plan to stay in the City, instead of moving to the suburbs, where a Car is a Nessicity.

1947 Several of the Buildiers, who where planning open Suburbs out in the Country, instead start building New Towns, on the edge of the cities. These are planned so that they tie into the exsisting Trolley, & Subway lines.

In 1948 a underling leaks The planned conprisacy between the Oil, Tire, & Auto companies to destroy the Intra city Mass transit system [This Conrisacy is per OTL, the Leak & Outcry are ATL]
The public out cry leads to several Major public figures, Denouceing the Auto Companies, And publicly cancelling their new Car Contracts, Lots of common folks follow suit. Also the Law makers get involved and Trolley companies across the country get Gov't funds, to upgrade their lines.

1954 The new Interstate Bill contains providians setting up new towns, & cities inside the Interstate Rings [Beltways] that are being designed into the system every so many miles. The Act also contians moneys to help establish Trolleys & Subways in the Newly designed towns. this is all justified under the Decentralizing providsions of the Defense act.

1956 The first Transcontinental Bullet train NY- LA 12 hrs, as fast as the Airlines.

I don't think that anything short of a full-fledged police state would prevent a certain degree of suburbanization in the US, but it could be less extensive. Preserving and maintaining a larger infrastructure for mass transit/public transportation would be a key factor.

I agree with previous posters that it just doesn't make sense to stop the interstate highways every time you reach a city. That would just mean huge traffic problems and gridlock. Even if there is much better service through trains, subways, trolleys, and more usage of bikes, there will probably be some sort of long distance highway system built, just maybe not as extensive. Suburbs will still develop, but there won't be as many of them and they won't take up as much space or extend as far out from the cities. A larger percentage of the population will live in apartments or condos rather than individual homes. It would be great for people who don't like long car commutes, or lawn care.