The Road That Killed A City: Recent Episodes
Jim Krueger
The Road That Killed A City is a podcast from independent journalist Jim Krueger about the history of Hartford, Connecticut told through the lens of architecture and city planning. Most importantly, the construction of the I-84 Viaduct and the Urban Redevelopment in downtown.
With all the disruption the highway caused, it's safe to say plenty of people saw fit to move away from Hartford. In our final episode we talk to the people who have stayed in the city, and the ways they're fighting for change.
Link to the Greater Hartford Mobility Study: https://www.hartfordmobility.com
Congressman Larson's I-84/91 tunnel proposal: https://larson.house.gov/media-center/op-eds-and-letters/i-84i-91-tunnel-proposal-about-thinking-big-again
The Road That Killed A City was written, recorded, and edited by Jim Krueger.
Cover Art by Paul Trongone
Music: "I Know A Guy" by Kevin MacLeod freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_Ma…new_a_Guy_1821 CC 3.0
"A Few Jumps Away" by Arthur Vyncke
From the get go, the Hartford Interstate and Urban Redevelopment projects showed signs of flaws in their execution. Down the line, we look at how the projects themselves facilitated systemic inequality that persists to this day.
The Road That Killed A City was written, recorded, and edited by Jim Krueger.
Cover Art by Paul Trongone
Music: "Talltell" by Blue Dot Sessions freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot…lands/talltell CC 4.0
"Your Choice" by Inaequalis https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Inaequalis/terrarium/your-choicemp3 CC 4.0
"Drag along behind" by aboombong freemusicarchive.org/music/aboombon…g_along_behind CC 3.0
When Hartford started to expand, it was clear a new road was needed to connect downtown to the suburbs. Exactly where the road would take place and how the project would take shape show a city attempting to create strong divisions.
The Road That Killed A City was written, recorded, and edited by Jim Krueger.
Cover Art by Paul Trongone
Music: "I Know A Guy" by Kevin MacLeod freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_Ma…new_a_Guy_1821 CC 3.0
"O' Holy Still" by Blue Dot Sessions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Vacant_Distillery/O_Holy_Still CC 4.0
"Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 14" Performed by Bernd Krueger www.piano-midi.de/ogg.htm CC 3.0
In many ways, Hartford's change as a city is rooted in who we are as a country. Some of this is based upon Jeffersonian ideals, while some reasoning is more sinister.
The Road That Killed A City was written, recorded, and edited by Jim Krueger.
Cover Art by Paul Trongone
Music: "Thread Caramb" by Blue Dot Sessions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Textiles_Caramb/Thread_Caramb_1828 CC 4.0
"First Results" by Blue Dot Sessions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/single/first-results CC 4.0
At its peak, the city of Hartford was perhaps the greatest in America. It certainly was the wealthiest. The city shined so bright, in fact, its charm lured in one of America's greatest writer's, Mark Twain.
The Road That Killed A City was written, recorded, and edited by Jim Krueger.
Cover Art by Paul Trongone
Music: "Entwined Oddity" by Blue Dot Sessions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Bitters/Entwined_Oddity_1607 CC 4.0
"Talltell" by Blue Dot Sessions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/flatlands/talltell CC 4.0
What does Hartford look like to an outsider? It turns out, Connecticut's capitol city can appear quite strange and divided to those moving to the city from elsewhere.
The Road That Killed A City was written, recorded, and edited by Jim Krueger.
Cover Art by Paul Trongone
Music: "I Know A Guy" by Kevin MacLeod https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Jazz_Sampler/I_Knew_a_Guy_1821 CC 3.0
"Drag along behind" by aboombong https://freemusicarchive.org/music/aboombong/asynchronic/06_Drag_along_behind CC 3.0