Building Inequities: The Cultural, Economic, and Environmental Justice Impacts of the Interstate Highway System

Authors

  • Lucas Gauthier University of Colorado Boulder

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33011/cuhj20253587

Keywords:

Environmental Justice, Transportation, Inequity

Abstract

The multi-decade development of the Interstate Highway System has been one of the largest determinants shaping the built environment, culture, and economy of the United States. As the largest public works project in history, the Interstate Highway System had a profound influence on the life of virtually every American due to increased economic efficiency, improved automotive safety, and heightened urban and rural interconnectivity. Despite these extensive benefits, the unequal burdens posed by the Interstate Highway System have led to lasting impacts in the form of demolished neighborhoods, polluted communities, and degraded land use patterns experienced most acutely by minority and low-income individuals.

Author Biography

Lucas Gauthier, University of Colorado Boulder

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder majoring in Economics and Envionmental Studies with minors in Philosophy and Leadership Studies. My works published in the 2023 Honors Journal were written for my IB Diploma Extended Essay and English HL Essay my senior year of high school.

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Published

2025-04-29

How to Cite

Gauthier, L. (2025). Building Inequities: The Cultural, Economic, and Environmental Justice Impacts of the Interstate Highway System. University of Colorado Honors Journal, 217–219. https://doi.org/10.33011/cuhj20253587

Issue

Section

Social Science