Driven Apart: Community Displacement Along the Century/105 Freeway Main Menu A Legacy of Displacement in Los Angeles Navigating the Century Freeway: Origins, Opposition, and Route Controversies Class Action Lawsuit & The 1972 Shutdown A Community Splintered: Abandoned Homes, Vandalism, and Crime Judge Harry Pregerson and the Consent Decree Conclusion: "The Last Freeway" Century Freeway Records at USC Special Collections Acknowledgements

Introduction

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I intend to curate a digital exhibit highlighting the transformative impact of freeways in Los Angeles, utilizing interactive elements such as photo sliders for visual comparisons between the “before and after” of freeways. The exhibit seeks to prompt contemplation about evolving landscapes, incurred losses, and unexplored potentials. At its core, this showcase of visual archival materials will illuminate the obscured narratives of displaced individuals and communities affected by freeway construction. 

As a Ph.D. student in the History Department at USC, my research delves into the historical context of environmental racism and its relevance for contemporary comprehension of transportation and sustainability. While primarily centered around the archival materials from the Century Freeway collection, this exhibit will also consider numerous other instances of 20th-century freeway displacements in Los Angeles. I am interested in the historical usage of eminent domain and “slum” clearance policies to acquire land for urban infrastructure projects, such as freeways, which disproportionately impacted marginalized communities. These notions of "progress" from Anglo-American project developers contributed to community fragmentation, relegating these communities to pollution-ridden areas, while more affluent neighborhoods encountered fewer freeway projects and less pollution. This exhibition exposes a glaring instance of environmental racism, one that represents yet another distressing episode in the region's enduring history of racial injustice. 

My research primarily focuses on the intersection of women, low-income communities, and environmental activism — an underexplored juncture that helps to illuminate more inclusive sustainability practices. By bridging historical perspectives with contemporary challenges, this exhibit will offer substantial contributions to sustainability and transportation studies, particularly by emphasizing the experiences of marginalized groups. Beyond examining environmental racism and the destruction of landscape, the exhibit will delve into the intricate meanings of home and community, exploring their fragmentation through various expressive mediums, including art and personal testimonies. It will particularly emphasize the pivotal role of women in their struggle against displacement and their pursuit of equitable treatment for their communities.
 

This page has paths:

  1. Paved Paths, Displaced Lives: The Legacy of Displacement Along the Century/105 Freeway Amber Santoro

Contents of this path:

  1. "The Last of the Freeways"
  2. A Legacy of Displacement in Los Angeles