Harbor Drive - Legacy

Legacy

As well as created a major recreation facility for the city of Portland, the closure of Harbor Drive is widely considered a significant event in urban planning; the first time a freeway had ever been removed and not replaced. It (along with the subsequent cancellation of Interstate 505 and the Mount Hood Freeway) cemented Portland's reputation as a model of pedestrian- and transit-friendly design. Since the completion of Interstate 205 in the mid 1980s, no new freeways have been built in the city, other than a short realignment of U.S. Route 30 near the Fremont Bridge.

Many other cities in the United States have since demolished freeways as well, and more are considering such action. San Francisco is well known for the (earthquake-assisted) demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway; Boston demolished the elevated portion of Interstate 93 as part of the massive Big Dig project; and Milwaukee removed the Park East Freeway. In addition, Seattle is now considering removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct along the downtown waterfront.