To Remove, Remediate, or Reconstruct? An Evaluation Framework and Design Toolkit for the Future of American Urban Freeways
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he-aaronhe-mcp-dusp-2026-thesis.pdf
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333.66 MB
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Author(s)
He, Aaron G.
Advisor(s)
Ryan, Brent D.
Aloisi, James
Date Issued
May 2026
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
This thesis presents an evaluation framework and design toolkit for freeway interventions to inform future community engagement and decision-making on urban freeways in the United States. It begins by establishing a working definition of freeways and a typological system based on jurisdiction, physical design and operation. It then identifies the seven common intervention types: bus and HOV/HOT lane, urban rail transit, freeway lid or cap, complete removal, boulevard conversion, trail conversion, and freeway relocation.
Through a cross-sectional literature review, the thesis evaluates these interventions across five key dimensions: traffic and mobility, environment and health, urban design, cost, and gentrification and equity. In parallel, it compiles a comprehensive inventory of built freeway interventions in the United States. By integrating the literature review and empirical inventory analysis, the framework develops a set of evaluation matrices that examines (1) how freeway typological variables have historically shaped intervention design and implementation outcomes, and (2) how each intervention type aligns with contemporary planning objectives. To address contextual nuances and reconcile inherent tensions within the framework, the thesis concludes with an adaptable design toolkit that disassembles each intervention into core and supplementary components. The toolkit illustrates a potential design for each intervention and enables a stakeholder-led planning process that combines elements across interventions tailored to local needs.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
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