Solidly within the definition of "deep South," Austin's history contains both the exuberance of Western expansion and industrialization, and the darker shadow of a long history of slave economy, racism, and extreme segregation. A broad glance at its history reveals that developments in transportation and racist city policy arise concurrently and are often intertwined. The placement of Interstate Highway 35 has been recorded by many as a deliberate act of geographical segregation, and ill intent or not, marked effects have lasted fifty years after the highway's construction.
Recent years have shown a remediation of some of these negative consequences, but have also brought their own, equally harmful results. The city has changed, but conditions for its victims have not. A study of highway design examines the consistent and widespread oversight by mid-century lawmakers and engineers of any roadway factors other than sheer road capacity and driving speed, resulting in exaggerated rifts of inequality.
Present day theories of highway building urge the consideration of Context Sensitive Design to accommodate the needs of
