City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways

by Megan Kimble

An eye-opening investigation into how our ever-expanding urban highways accelerated inequality and fractured communities—and a call for a more just, sustainable path forward

Every major American city has a highway tearing through its center. Seventy years ago, planners sold these highways as progress, essential to our future prosperity. The automobile promised freedom, and highways were going to take us there. Instead, they divided cities, displaced people from their homes, chained us to our cars, and locked us into a high-emissions future. And the more highways we built, the worse traffic got. Nowhere is this more visible than in Texas. In Houston, Dallas, and Austin, residents and activists are fighting against massive, multi-billion-dollar highway expansions that will claim thousands of homes and businesses, entrenching segregation and sprawl.

In City Limits, journalist Megan Kimble weaves together the origins of urban highways with the stories of ordinary people impacted by our failed transportation system. In Austin, hundreds of families will lose childcare if a preschool is demolished to make way for Interstate 35. In Houston, a young Black woman will lose her brand-new home for a new lane on Interstate 10—just blocks away from where a seventy-four-year-old nurse lost her home in the 1960s when that same highway was built. And in Dallas, an urban planner has improbably found himself at the center of a national conversation about highway removal. What if, instead of building our aging roads wider and higher, we removed those highways altogether? It’s been done before, first in San Francisco, and more recently, in Rochester, where Kimble traces how highway removal has brought new life to a divided city.

With propulsive storytelling and ground-level reporting, City Limits exposes the enormous social and environmental costs wrought by our allegiance to a life of increasing speed and dispersion, and brings to light the people who are fighting for a more sustainable, connected future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Urban Planning, Urbanism, History, Politics, Audiobook, Cities

368 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

About the author

Megan Kimble is an investigative journalist and the author of Unprocessed. A former executive editor at the Texas Observer, Kimble has written about housing, transportation, and urban development for The New York Times, Texas Monthly, The Guardian, The Nation, and Bloomberg CityLab. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Nathan Shuherk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good reporting work on the Texas highway system and the bureaucratic stranglehold of a system (both state and national departments of transportation) designed to make life … well, worse. I wish there would’ve been a little more focus on the elements and philosophy of urban design, but we did get a little snippet about someone pulling a shotgun on Robert Moses.

[Dom Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read of the year :))
Feels appropriate that my first loan from Austin's public library was a book so intimately concerned with community and public services.
This was an awesome read - smooth and engaging prose with anecdotes effortlessly blended with deeper historical/cultural discourse. I though the focus was well-controlled, revolving around 3 Texas interstate expansion projects with occasional links to wider national examples.
I found the approach of the author really compelling - she focused on the voices of those effected by highway relocation and prioritized these accounts in a way which TxDOT urban planners have clearly failed to do. It's clear that no matter what happens to Texas' highways, the community's input must be sought, considered, and acted upon.
While the jumble of first person accounts across multiple cities' highway projects can be a bit hard to keep track of, one could also make a point this illustrates the similar issues and experiences communities across Texas have when dealing with highway expansion.
This book could even read as an allegory of the wider state of US politics - there is empirical evidence that a course of policy is fundamentally wrong, but ideology wins out and unproductive solutions are still followed. In this case, induced demand means highway expansion won't work, and yet legislators still pursue it as it conforms with their car-centric ideology.
Overall, a great book which has got me fired up about I-35!

[Ginni · Rating 5 out of 5]

City Limits is timely, thorough, and eloquently written, but it will also make you feel even more pissed off about highways and traffic than you already do--especially if you live in Texas. The central message is that putting a highway through a city generally causes more problems than it solves, putting minority groups at a special disadvantage. Most Americans have accepted this as being inevitable, regardless of how we feel about it--but Kimble argues that things could change.

(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important piece of journalism sharing the stories of real people affected by highway infrastructure and its continued growing throughout the U.S. despite its detrimental effects on the environment, community, and people. This books shares stories of people in Texas whose homes and businesses have been taken by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The power of this book lies within these people's stories to really showcase the human cost of our continued reliance on cars.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know why Texas is the way that we are when it comes to public transportation, this book will tell you. I'm so glad I read it, because now things make sense and I'm pissed off about it. I used to wonder why we have all these train track and ROWs from years gone by, but nothing happens with it. They are just there not being used. Some are, but most aren't. Why are we not turning that into train services for the surburbs into town? And it's disheartening to know it's not just Republicans, but also Democrats. It's not just city leaders, but also TXDOT and the Governor and the Federal govt, as well. It's just so disheartening to see everyone so into putting cars first always when there are other options. I've seen not relying on cars in other countries (York outright bans cars), and even in NYC. Why can't we have that here? Well, corruption, bullying, old school way of thinking, and that shitty thing known as Imminent Domain is the answer.

Anyways, if you live in Texas, read this book. Even if you don't, this book talks about other areas in the country, too.

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was casually anti-personal car, but now I am vehemently anti-personal car and extremely pro public transit. A must read if you are discontent with American cities!!!

[Kadhir Patchamuthu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I for some reason throughout the reading of the book was waiting for there to be more information about the history and building of these highways but then I read the title and short blurb about the book and realized that that is not what the book was written for.

With this new understanding of the goal of the book I think it’s reporting on how highways affects communities particularly TxDOT affecting people in Texas was interesting and overall a good read.

Just don’t be dumb like me and have the wrong idea about the intention of the book.

[Randy Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard this author Megan Kimble on the Longform Podcast interviewed about this book and her career as a journalist. She sounded earnest and competent. She mentioned how the Interstate highway program had been misused by localities to build inner city highways that destroyed neighborhoods and communities. That got me to buy and read the book.

Sadly I found the book a competent failure. It is a failure because it doesn’t have a strong thesis and as a result great reporting and solid writing aggregates into a mediocre result. Here is the basic thesis; in Texas predominantly brown and black communities get shafted by highway expansion. Didn’t we know that? While the reporting about how advocates are pushing back against these efforts show diligence and perseverance, this doesn’t feel big enough to justify this book.

Late in the book, the author talks about how electric vehicles aren’t themselves enough to win against climate change and how disruptive our current transportation policy is. I felt that had she made the story of highway expansion part of a larger critique of transportation policy, then the stakes would have been higher and the reader would have been educated in what more must be done to create a livable American future.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Hungry Rye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how community focused this was and how it discussed red lining. I wish it had more of an economic element.

[Bryce Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this audio book only while driving on highways really makes me think about my own car/highway reliance. I was confused by some of the structuring and following between the different cities since I’m not super familiar with Texas other than Houston, but urban design is one of my newest hobbies so this has me all revved up. S/o to CNU who just did a comprehensive study on Camp Washington and had their most recent conference in Cincinnati where I’m reading from.

[Amerika Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok slay Texas infrastructure (not really, it’s horrible). such an interesting book! at times it was hard to pick up because of the different jargon and experiences they were explaining but it’s very interesting to read about how lawmakers love their cars and highways and literally make it so difficult to have inclusive and accessible transportation. loved how this highlighted Texas infrastructure specifically because of how bad it’s gotten. if you’re going to read this book- get it on audio book instead.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually good (better than 3 stars looks), enjoyable narratives about the real stories behind freeway resistance, mostly focused on TX but touching on lots of other areas. Had to drop to 3 bc it was a little too similar to school reading for me personally but that’s my problem not yours.

[Sarah Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book - it reshaped the way I think about transport and affirmed my love of public transportation!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A specific read on a specific subject, but very educational and written well. A must read for all transportation planners.

[Angie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

If widening highways doesn’t fix traffic, why are we spending billions of dollars to widen highways? Why do we spend all of this money when we know we will still not get the outcomes we are seeking? This book primary investigates the TXDOT problems in Austin, Dallas, Houston but even in my community in Iowa we have behaved similarly. Recently we spent 4 million on “improving” an interstate interchange on I80 when we could have spent that 4 million on 10 years of light rail between the corridor to decrease the traffic to begin with! The automobile industry has sold us on this idea that cars make us freer and independent but we don’t need to continue to be fooled. We could reallocate how we spend this money. People want to live in walkable- bikeable communities that are addressing climate change. Public transit will remain unreliable and inefficient unless we fund it- or even build it. Highways were often built to displace thousands of black people ( I really enjoyed highlighting the addition of this storyline to the Apple show in Lessons in Chemistry).

You can not cure car congestion without killing a city, and no one congests places not worth visiting. No one wanted to visit downtown Dallas anymore since the highways drew people outward. When obtaining public feedback people don’t care about the congestion but they care a lot about housing, connectivity, access to parks, and building community. One study found that removing I345 would increase delays by only one minute. Increasing highways increases air pollution, worsen flooding, displace families, destroys jobs and it doesn’t even fix the traffic. Freeways were violently built through Black, immigrant, poor neighborhoods. When we visit other cities in the world we see the possibility of walkable cities and car dependency is a policy priority which significantly impacts families. How does keeping or even expanding highways align with a city’s environmental goals of reducing single occupancy car trips? What if the TXDOT started funding urban transit projects instead? The US Congress is closer to funding urban transit than the Texas DOT. As it is the federal government requires local governments to pay 50 percent of the cost of transit projects but only 20 percent of highway projects- maybe we should change how we prioritize projects? Meanwhile Project Connect- the light rail plan approved by voters- had ballooned in cost due to inflation of construction costs following the pandemic.

TXDOT admits “we’re not pretending to say the expansion of I35 in Austin will build our way out of congestion.” Why spend billions then if you know it won’t solve the problem? The traffic engineers know the data too. How much more money can we just waste in these endeavors? In many large communities such as DC there were protests in the 60s and 70s to prevent highways from being built in the city center (thanks to all of those protestors).

It’s ludicrous to believe you “should” be able to get from one of the country’s fastest growing cities in under 8 minutes. TXDOT reported it should take 8 minutes to travel 8 miles yet in 2019 that trip took 32 minutes. By 2045 that same trip will take over THREE HOURS! Hopefully no rational person would choose to make that trip- so alternatives must be explored. Most people can walk those 8 miles in less than 3.7 hours- or BIKES WILL SAVE THE PLANET !🌎 cities are cancelling highway projects, especially those going through historically Black neighborhoods. People don’t think of DOT as a villain in the climate crisis but as they expand roads then carbon emissions increase. Climate leaders don’t expand freeways in a new battle cry for youth activists. Many of those people making decisions about transportation aren’t thinking of the most vulnerable. WE Want to see transportation as something we do WITH people NOT TO people!!!


The Biden administration wants 2/3 of the cars sold in the US to be electric by 2032 continuing that most transportation money be spent on highways. Electric vehicles offer a false promise- that we all keep driving as much as we want and can still reduce carbon emissions. Electrification is important but how much can we continue to drive. Twenty years ago we drive 2.75 trillion miles and now we drive 3.2 trillion miles. To meet carbon reduction targets set by the IPCC we need to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030. To reduce driving we need to reduce distances between homes, schools, jobs and grocery stops that require longer- term changes in land use and planning. The easiest way to reduce driving and lower emissions is to STOP widening urban highways. Transportation departments could track variables such as access to jobs and services rather than only tracking how fast cars are moving.

The author envisions a car free transit mall on Guadalupe Street, my daughter lived just blocks off of Guadalupe and I could really envision such a future. Reading down highways is just the beginning of how to build up communities.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really worthwhile read for those interested in urban planning/transportation non-fiction, especially if you live or have lived with the growing specter of Texas highways and interstate expansions. Loved the portraits of the everyday people who found themselves in places they never imagined (joining in solidarity with neighbors and activists to pressure state transportation departments to stop expansions and/or remove highways) and Kimble ends the book with a lovely coda to pull her thesis together. A better life can be possible! 4/5

[Olive Ellringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good narrative reporting. We should bomb all highways.

[Siriusly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abandoned at 85%. There’s just too much fluff and unnecessary exposition. Maybe I’m not in the mood or maybe it’s because the book just danced around people’s stories that had little to no relevance on what the book should be about. Or rather, this book didn’t meet my expectations. As I write this, I’m saying to myself “the stories are the point”. I know, but there’s just too much unnecessary narrative that just doesn’t do it for me. Still, I hope this book helps open people’s eyes to just how horrible our governments still are to people and their continued car-centric system that’s forced upon us. The more people see the substance of this book, the better.

[Ashley Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew that a book about highways would be an engaging page-turner that made me tear up multiple times? This book illustrates the pain of racist urban planning that demolished communities and what we can do to right those wrongs while creating better, more environmentally friendly cities for everyone. It presented a hopeful picture of the power of community organizing and its necessity to fight both republican and democrat led initiatives that rely too much on car dependence and not enough on improving and increasing public transportation.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is mainly about cities in Texas - Austin, Dallas and Houston - with a couple of side trips to Rochester, NY and San Francisco. Very interesting journalistic effort to describe community efforts to remove interstate highways from urban areas, where they force residents to rely on the automobile for daily transportation needs, siphon resources from mass transit, and cause no end of blight.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book explains so much about the loss of community in America’s urban centers. Essential reading, especially if you live in Texas. Well-written too. Highly recommend! If you’re an Austin resident like me, go check out Rethink 35!

[Aaryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic addition to my growing collection of books about roads (see also Crossings and Paved Paradise). This work looks at freeways in Houston, Austin and Dallas. Fascinating. The short synopsis: bigger highways aren't the answer.

[Joey Nedland · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - a really well-done book about the atrocities committed by state and local governments in taking highways, which were designed by the federal government to connect states, and using them to destroy communities and urban fabrics. The middle section involves East Downtown Houston where I used to live, and hearing about dumbass Greg Abbott and his TxDOT director's joy over adding lanes to allow the 0.2 mile ACROSS highway bulldoze local breweries, shops, and apartments is infuriating. I can think of absolutely nothing dumber from a public policy perspective in the year of our lord 2024 than spending BILLIONS of dollars to add lanes to monstrously large highways. Through walkable downtowns! Pathetic.

Edit to add - not 5 stars because it falls into the trap that I think a lot of new-author non-fiction does where the anecdotes and interviews go on past the point of proving the central thesis. At some point, you can trim it down and still compellingly state the case here, and another interview with an activist against I-45 in Texas doesn't add a ton.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book if: You travel to work regularly on a highway. Or sit in traffic. Or live in Texas. City Limits is about how highways divide communities and add to traffic times and the fight across Texas to limit highway expansion/add bus and rail. Kimble does a pretty good job at explaining the history of the highways and frames the efforts of activism to prevent highway expansion. She explains how expansion just leads to more cars and traffic and how it destroys communities despite the constant rhetoric of connection and efficiency. Kimble frames each chapter between major Texas cities: Austin, Dallas and Houston by following community members and people. I enjoyed the mixture of narratives of residents affected by the highways and the politics of transportation. I couldn't say I was super interested in highways before reading this book, but living in DFW does make me notice how much commutes affect my life and divide my community. It was a great, informative read.

[Migdalia Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was meticulously researched, passionately told and highly informative. Although disheartening at times, it was illuminating to learn about how highways are funded, and how every other type of transportation isn't.

My only critique is that although this book's title makes it seem as if it's generally about infrastructure, it mostly focuses on the state of Texas.

Overall, an excellent choice if you're interested in the intersection of environmentalism, racial justice, US history, and sustainable transportation.

Companions to this book:
Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb & Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What to Do About It by Daniel Knowles

[Skylis]

didn't realize this would closely follow 3 highway protect oppositions in cities all in Texas, this was engaging and felt a bit like Evicted in terms of following people and their experiences and efforts, but it followed community members who became organizers, and it didn't read quite as closely to narrative fiction as Evicted. still interesting, still hit the good points about induced demand, but uniquely tackled the issues of TexDot not listening to constituents, and likewise constituents having a terrible time getting other members of the checks and balances system to keep TexDot in check. highways destroy communities. i'm excited for a hopeful story on bus systems and trains next. fingers crossed I can find one!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I’m giving this one my middle-of-the-road rating because, out of all the books I’ve read this year, this is one I absolutely remember the least. Remembering so little tells me one of two things: either it was not especially good (which I think was probably not the case?), or I just was not in the right headspace at the time to process and retain what I was listening to (I typically do audiobooks). That being said, I do want to try this one again so I can give it a fair rating. There’s really not much more I can say about it except that it’s heavily based in the social and environmental injustice of Texas infrastructure, so if you’re in Texas like me, it’s worth being aware of.

[Joe Saperstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful piece of investigative journalism about the history and contemporary impact of urban highways. The book deals with Texas primarily (Houston, Austin, and Dallas) but has relevance for any US city, especially cities where highway widening is being proposed as a "solution" for congestion. This book became very real for me as I visited Austin and spent time in some of the businesses that will be impacted by the proposed I-35 expansion. After reading this book, it feels ludicrous to me that anyone in any US city is talking about WIDENING a highway that goes through an urban core. Doing so will only pile on more harm to communities that were divided by the initial highway construction, not to mention that this will not fix congestion. Through this book, I learned more about "induced demand" and the basic principles that make urban highways an ineffective and harmful way of trying to move people in urban areas. More than this, however, Kimble documents the alternative of highway removal (as well as other alternatives) and helps us begin to imagine a future where things are different.

[Rohaan Menon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional book on the perceived permanence of highways, the constant funding required to maintain that perception, and the inevitable power of induced demand.

Everyone should read this, look outside, and wonder, "what could be different if we wanted it to be?"