Calgary's Fused Grid, the Barcelona's Superilles in the Sprawl

The need to transform existing metros, and especially their overcrowded centers, became pressing in the 1960s; an inevitable outcome following 50 years of motorization in cities that were built at a time when auto-mobility was simply inconceivable. Sporadic responses that followed included cities closing streets to cars; declaring specific districts exclusive for pedestrians; redistributing traffic flows and removing highways from central areas or redirecting through-traffic to underground tunnels. All these case-by-case changes nurtured an appreciation for the vast improvement in the quality of the daily city experience, the heightened sociability and the intensified economic activity. In turn, this new appreciation generated greater demand for spaces and places endowed with these qualities.