The early planning and development of Oklahoma City

Abstract

An analysis of the planning, development, and implementation of Oklahoma City's Grand Boulevard. In the early days of 1909, a plan emerged to build an expansive parks and boulevard system to encircle Oklahoma City. Such systems had evolved during the parks movement era of the late nineteenth century and had become a common feature of major cities throughout the United States. While Oklahoma City leaders in many ways wished to emulate the park systems of other cities in hopes of bolstering the city's metropolitan reputation, they were also influenced by the emergence of the automotive industry and auto road racing in the United States. The opportunities presented by the automobile led the city to deviate from previous parks and boulevard models in pursuit of something unique for the period - an engineered speedway. Ultimately, a formal plan was prepared which espoused many of the principles of the City Beautiful movement. However, the vision for a speedway would continue to impact the systems design. The parks and boulevard system that resulted has had an enduring influence on the form and growth of Oklahoma City.