Aerial View of Portland Steel Bridge Over Calm River. Image © Nicholas J Klein via Shutterstock

波特兰改造：拆除的公路如何成为开创性的海滨公园
Transforming Portland: How a Demolished Highway Became a Pioneering Waterfront Park

由专筑网Zia，小R编译

优先考虑的基础设施塑造了城市景观，反映了特定时期的社会需求和价值观。波特兰港湾大道（Harbor Drive）就是这种演变的典型案例——这条公路曾是汽车交通的大动脉，后来被拆除，建成了一个滨水公园。这一转变不仅重塑了美国俄勒冈州波特兰市中心的面貌，还标志着城市规划的一个重要里程碑：拆除主要公路，改建公共空间。港湾大道的故事为减少城市交通基础设施、为步行重新规划城市这一趋势奠定了基础。

美国在1956 年至 1973 年期间开始建设新的州际公路系统。1956年高速公路立法获得批准后，建设热潮随之兴起。它得到了汽车制造商、石油公司、水泥和钢铁制造商、建筑公司等企业游说者的支持，这些企业都认识到了现代化高速高速公路的重要性。这些公路将连接全国各大城市，加速卡车和汽车的长途旅行。除了州际公路，还有城市快速路系统，将中心城市与周边郊区连接起来，方便了人们的通勤。

Urban landscapes are shaped by the infrastructure we prioritize, reflecting the needs and values of society at a given moment in time. One striking example of this evolution is Portland's Harbor Drive—a highway that was once an artery of heavy automobile traffic but was later demolished to make way for a waterfront park. This transformation not only reshaped downtown Portland, Oregon, United States but also marked a significant milestone in urban planning: the removal of a major highway in favor of public space. Harbor Drive's story set the stage for a growing trend of reducing urban traffic infrastructure and reimagining cities for people rather than cars.
The United States started the construction of a new interstate highway system which was mainly completed between 1956 and 1973. The construction boom expanded from the approval of the 1956 highway legislation. It was supported by lobbyists from businesses like automobile manufacturers, oil companies, makers of cement and steel, construction firms, and other businesses, who all recognized the significance of modern, high-speed highways. These roads were going to connect all the nation's major cities and would speed long-distance travel by truck and automobile. Along with the interstate lines, there was also a system of urban expressways that linked the central cities with the surrounding suburbs and facilitated commuting.


Aerial shot showing Portland’s Harbor Drive in 1964. Image via Portland City Archives

波特兰与美国其他大城市一样，也顺应了这一潮流，并积极投身于高速公路建设。因此，1942 年修建了港口大道，以解决日益严重的交通拥堵问题，并为城市经济发展提供支持。这条公路位于威拉米特河西岸，是连接城市工业中心和不断扩张的郊区的重要通道。它代表了 20 世纪中期盛行的城市规划理念，即把汽车作为现代性和进步的象征。

1943年，波特兰市政府决定聘请纽约市最著名的城市规划师罗伯特·摩西（Robert Moses）为波特兰的未来绘制蓝图，这进一步塑造了波特兰的未来。尽管摩西的计划受到了当地政府的欢迎，但由于成本过高，到1945年就被放弃了。不过，他的提案中仍有部分内容保留了下来，特别是围绕市中心的405/I-5号州际公路环线，该环线由体育场高速公路（Stadium Freeway）组成，通过弗里蒙特大桥与东岸高速公路（East Bank Freeway）相连。

Portland, like all the other big American urban centers, was part of this trend and embraced highway construction. That is why in 1942, Harbor Drive was built as a solution to its growing traffic congestion and a means to support the city's economy. Positioned along the west bank of the Willamette River, the highway was a vital link between the industrial heart of the city and the expanding suburbs. It represented the prevailing urban planning philosophy of the mid-20th century, which prioritized cars as symbols of modernity and progress.
This was further reinforced by the decision in 1943 to hire New York City's most famous city planner, Robert Moses, to develop a blueprint for Portland's future. Even though Moses's plans were well received by the local government, they were dropped by 1945 due to high costs. However, some pieces of his proposal survived, notably the Interstate 405/I-5 loop around downtown composed of Stadium Freeway which would be joined to the East Bank Freeway through the Fremont Bridge.


Diagram showing the Freeway Loop in Portland. Image Courtesy of City of Portland via Freeway Loop Study Summary Report

这就提出了一个问题，即一旦新环路建成，港湾大道对波特兰的连通性是否仍然重要。到 20 世纪 60 年代，港湾大道开始显示出其局限性。波特兰的人口和城市对汽车的依赖都在增长。随着交通流量的增加，公路变得拥堵不堪，给通勤者带来了延误和沮丧。此时，港湾大道上不断出现高架通道和升级改造，但始终无法彻底解决交通问题。与此同时，中心城区的滨水带也变成了沥青和混凝土铺就的冰冷区域。

This raised the question of whether Harbor Drive would remain essential to Portland's connectivity once the new loop was constructed around it. By the 1960s, Harbor Drive began to show its limitations. Portland's population and the city's dependency on cars had grown. As traffic volumes increased, the highway became clogged, causing delays and frustration for commuters. At this point, Harbor Drive was a continuous scene of elevated passes and upgrades which never completely solved the traffic problem. Meanwhile, the central city's waterfront had become an unappealing backdrop of asphalt and concrete.


Aerial view of the San Francisco embarcadero freeway in 1958. Image via San Francisco Public Library

这个问题并非波特兰独有。在整个美国，许多城市都在实施穿越市中心的高速公路项目，导致当地社区的不满情绪与日俱增。为了给这些中心干道让路，整个社区以及公园和历史街区都被拆除。这引起了当地民众的普遍不满，也就是今天所说的“高速公路抗议”。这场运动最早出现在旧金山，特别是围绕着沿着该市历史悠久的滨水区修建巨大的双层 Embarcadero 高速公路而展开。在波特兰，它以“人民河滨”的名义兴起。虽然大多数的抗议都集中在避免计划中的高速公路建设，但波特兰的抗议是第一个真正实现改造现有高速公路的行动。

This problem was not exclusive to Portland. Throughout the United States, many cities had been implementing highway projects passing through the central parts of downtown, leading to the increasing dissatisfaction from local communities. Entire neighborhoods, as well as parks and historic districts, were being demolished to make way for these central arteries. This caused a general discontent nationwide which is known today as the Freeway Revolt. It saw its first expression in San Francisco, specifically revolving around the construction of the massive double-decked Embarcadero Freeway that ran along the city's historic waterfront. In Portland, it rose under the name of "Riverfront for People". While most of the efforts focused on avoiding planned freeway construction, Portland's revolt was the first to actually achieve the destruction of an existing highway.


The southernmost section of Tom McCall Waterfront Park looking south towards RiverPlace. Image © Steve Morgan via Wikipedia under license CC BY-SA 3.0

1974年，州长汤姆·麦考尔（Tom McCall）大胆地决定关闭港湾大道，这成为港湾大道的转折点。随后，港口大道被拆除，取而代之的是城市开发的滨水公园，作为重新连接市中心与大河的绿地，并于1975年委托 Wolff Zimmer Gunsul Frasca (ZGF) 建筑公司设计了一份2000万美元的总体规划。这一决定在当时是非常激进的，因为港口大道成为美国第一条永久性拆除的主要公路。然而，该项目遭到了一些商界领袖和郊区通勤者的强烈反对，他们担心拆除公路会导致交通更加拥堵和经济衰退。

The turning point for Harbor Drive came in 1974 when Governor Tom McCall boldly decided to close it. Later, Harbor Drive was demolished, and in its place, the city developed the waterfront park as a green space that reconnected downtown with the River, and commissioned the architecture firm Wolff Zimmer Gunsul Frasca (ZGF) to draft a $20 million Master Plan in 1975. This decision was radical for its time, as Harbor Drive became the first major highway in the United States to be permanently removed. Nonetheless, the project faced significant opposition from some business leaders and suburban commuters who feared that removing the highway would lead to increased congestion and economic decline.


View of the newly built Waterfront Park in 1979. Image via Portland City Archives

港口大道的拆除和汤姆·麦考尔滨水公园的建立标志着城市层面优先事项的转变。该公园于 1978年正式开放，占地约30英亩，设有步行道、开放式草坪和通往河流的通道。通过优先考虑绿地而非公路基础设施，该市率先创建了更宜居的城市核心，吸引了居民、企业和游客。港湾大道的拆除并没有像一些人预测的那样导致灾难性的交通问题；相反，交通被摩西高速公路环线等其他路线所吸收，人们也适应了新的交通模式。这是变革性的时刻，表明波特兰愿意优先考虑公共空间而非传统公路基础设施。

The removal of Harbor Drive and the creation of Tom McCall Waterfront Park symbolized a broader shift in urban priorities. Officially opened in 1978, the park spans approximately 30 acres and features walking paths, open lawns, and access to the river. By prioritizing green space over highway infrastructure, the city pioneered in creating a more livable urban core that attracted residents, businesses, and tourists. The removal of Harbor Drive did not lead to the catastrophic traffic problems some had predicted; instead, traffic was absorbed by other routes such as Moses' Freeway loop, and people adapted to new transportation patterns. It was a transformative moment that showed Portland's willingness to prioritize public space over automobile infrastructure.


Pedestrian path at the Portland Waterfront. Image © Pimlico27 via Wikipedia under license  CC BY-SA 4.0

在随后的几十年里，美国和世界各地的其他城市也开始效仿汤姆麦考尔滨水公园项目。旧金山的内河码头高速公路在1989年洛马普列塔地震中受损后被拆除，从而形成了一条滨水大道。另一个例子是波士顿的罗斯肯尼迪绿道，在20世纪90年代启动了“大挖掘”计划。用隧道网络和公园绿化带取代了中央干线公路，重新将城市与海滨连接起来。同样，2004年，韩国首尔拆除了一条主要的高架公路，恢复了清溪河，在市中心创建了一个线性公园。最后，2016年，台湾台北市拆除了横跨历史区域的忠孝东路立交桥，保留了现存的最后一座清代风格的北门，恢复了纪念碑昔日的庄严，并在其周围修建了广场。

In the decades that followed, other cities in the United States and around the world began to take examples from the Tom McCall Waterfront Park project. San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway was demolished after it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, leading to the creation of a waterfront boulevard. Another example is Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway, which in the 1990s started the Big Dig. It replaced the Central Artery highway with a network of tunnels and a green belt of parks, reconnecting the city with its waterfront. Similarly, in 2004 Seoul, South Korea, removed a major elevated highway to restore the Cheonggye Stream, creating a linear park right in the heart of the city's downtown. Finally, in 2016, Taipei City in Taiwan, demolished the Zhongxiao overpass which crossed a historic area that included the last surviving Qing dynasty-style North Gate, restoring the monument to its former dignity and creating a plaza around it.


Tom McCall Waterfront Park viewed from the Hawthorne Bridge. Image © Steve Morgan via Wikipedia under license CC BY-SA 3.0

这种拆除高速公路的趋势反映出，从20世纪遗留下来的以汽车为中心的城市规划，逐渐转变为以更周到的方式考虑其对城市结构的影响的城市发展趋势。几十年来，人们已经认识到高速公路会分隔社区，造成空气和噪音污染，占用宝贵的土地，而这些土地本可以支持住房、公园或其他社区资产。在大多数情况下，拆除高速公路能让城市重新获得城市空间，并促进步行、骑自行车和公共交通等可持续交通方式的发展。

This trend toward highway removal reflects a growing shift from car-centric urban planning inherited from the 20th century, into urban trends that take a more thoughtful approach toward their impact on the fabric of their cities. Throughout the decades, highways have been recognized for dividing neighborhoods, contributing to air and noise pollution, and occupying valuable land that could otherwise support housing, parks, or other community assets. In most cases, removing them has allowed cities to reclaim urban space and promote sustainable modes of transportation like walking, cycling, and public transit.


The Waterfront Park during Cherry Blossom season. Image © Wasim Muklashy via Shutterstock


Tom McCall Waterfront Park, seen looking south from the Steel Bridge. Image © Cacophony via Wikipedia under license CC BY-SA 3.0

拆除港湾大道的故事是一个开拓性改造和创新的故事，通过拆除公路并用公园取而代之，波特兰不仅重新连接了市中心与河流，还为城市规划的新方法铺平了道路。港湾大道的遗产远不止波特兰，它还影响着世界各地的城市重新思考交通基础设施的作用，并接受更加以人为本的城市生活愿景。

The story of Harbor Drive's removal is one of pioneering transformation and innovation. By demolishing a highway and replacing it with a park, Portland not only reconnected its downtown with the river but also paved the way for a new approach to urban planning. Harbor Drive's legacy extends far beyond Portland, influencing cities worldwide to rethink the role of traffic infrastructure and embrace a more human-centered vision for urban life.