Skip to content

Streetfilms: Fixing the Great Mistake of Planning for Cars

"Fixing the Great Mistake" is a new Streetfilms series that examines what went wrong in the early part of the 20th century, when our cities began catering to the automobile, and how those decisions continue to affect our lives today.
FTGMlogo4web

“Fixing the Great Mistake” is a new Streetfilms series that
examines what went wrong in the early part of the 20th century, when
our cities began catering to the automobile, and how those decisions
continue to affect our lives today.

In
this episode, Transportation Alternatives director Paul Steely White
shows how planning for cars drastically altered Park Avenue. Watch and
see what Park Avenue used to look like, how we ceded it to the
automobile, and what we need to do to reclaim the street as a space
where people take precedence over traffic.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Crashes Went Down 15% In Harlem Trash Container Zone, As Mamdani Hawks Citywide Rollout

April 17, 2026

Woman Killed By Hit-and-Run Trucker in Ridgewood

April 17, 2026

Columbia Agrees to Fund 125th Street Subway Elevator — But Leaves MTA Holding the Bag

April 17, 2026

Waymo Means Way Mo’ Cars, According To Uber Docs

April 17, 2026
See all posts