HIGHWAYS AS ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

THE HISTORY OF HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT IS REVIEWED WITH THE CONCLUSION GIVEN THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GEOMETRIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT MADE ROADS GOOD FOR VEHICLES IF NOT FOR PEOPLE. STIMULATED BY THE PROJECTED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, THE CONCEPT WAS RECOGNIZED THAT HIGHWAYS WERE NOT MERELY PAVEMENTS IN SELECTED RIGHT-OF-WAY CORRIDORS BUT IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENTS THEY PASS THROUGH. THE PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN ARE AIMED AT CREATING ORDER AMONG ITS INTERRELATED PARTS. GEOMORPHOLOGY PRODUCES BOTH REGIONAL AND LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS WHICH GIVE EACH LAND AREA DISTINCTIVE FORM AND TOGETHER WITH ITS VEGETATIVE MANTLE CREATES A FUNCTIONAL AND VISUAL STABILITY NECESSARY TO MANS PHYSICAL WELL BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH. HIGHWAY LOCATIONS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IN RELATION TO PERMANENT RATHER THAN TRANSITORY FEATURES. WE NEED FINALLY TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS A PHYSICAL ONE AND THAT A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IS TIED AS CLOSELY TO VISUAL VALUES AS IT IS TO ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1965/93/93-007.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Sears, Bradford G
• Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: pp 49-53
• Monograph Title: Roadside development
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 93
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Development; Environmental engineering; Geometric design; Geomorphology; Highways; Location; Social values
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Highway location
• Old TRIS Terms: Soil formation
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204579
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 12 1994 12:00AM