{"id":2516,"date":"2025-08-19T10:27:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T16:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/?p=2516"},"modified":"2025-08-19T10:31:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T16:31:07","slug":"freeways-values-and-the-city-the-eternal-return-of-elevated-highways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/freeways-values-and-the-city-the-eternal-return-of-elevated-highways\/","title":{"rendered":"Freeways, values, and the city: the eternal return of elevated highways"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my work as a researcher, one of the issues that interests me the most is understanding how our social practices are structured. A central key to this is the analysis of values. Values are the ideas that guide our decisions about what is beautiful or ugly, good or bad, right or wrong. These values direct our actions and, through repetition, become practices. And when a set of practices is sustained over time, they become social systems.<\/p>\n

From this perspective, an effective way to transform our social reality is to modify the values that sustain it. This means asking ourselves not only what we do, but why we do it.<\/p>\n

In recent days, we have once again seen the debate over roadways in our city. For the umpteenth time, there is an attempt to \u201cfix\u201d the road to the airport, the same one that was intervened when leaders like Barack Obama visited, when the Pan American Games were held, or during international summits. The proposal to build a second level has also resurfaced, like the \u201cV\u00eda Express\u201d that about fifteen years ago Emilio Gonz\u00e1lez promoted\u2014an elevated private highway that was to run along Avenida Inglaterra.<\/p>\n

Years later, we are once again facing the same discussions. Haven\u2019t we learned anything? Why do we keep repeating failed proposals and projects?<\/p>\n

From my point of view, the key lies in the values that guide our vision of the city. I will focus on two.<\/p>\n

The first is the value of the public versus the private. Road infrastructure decisions, time and again, privilege the private car and those who have the most. If we truly wanted to benefit the majority, we should be investing in quality public transportation. But no: the most privileged sector continues to be protected, instead of building a progressive and equitable policy.<\/p>\n

The second value has to do with the model of mobility we choose. We persist in thinking of the city through the lens of private, individual transportation, when what is required is a commitment to collective, safe, and accessible systems. The problem is not only the roadway infrastructure, but the sheer number of cars on the streets. And every project that \u201cimproves\u201d avenues encourages more cars to come out.<\/p>\n

If we do not change these values, in 10 or 20 years, we will be in the same place. But if we can shift our priorities\u2014in other words, our values\u2014we could build a different city, one that is fairer and more sustainable.<\/p>\n

This text was originally read on the NTR Radio newscast broadcast on August 18, 2025, and hosted by journalist Sergio Ren\u00e9 de Dios Corona.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes In my work as a researcher, one of the issues that interests me the most is understanding how our social practices are structured. A central key to this is the analysis of values. Values are the ideas that guide our decisions about what is beautiful or ugly, good or bad, right or wrong. These values direct… Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guadalajaras-communication-system","xfolkentry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2883,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/the-concept-of-power-after-tapalpa\/","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":0},"title":"The Concept of Power After Tapalpa","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"23 February, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa Today I had planned to speak about measles. However, it is impossible not to turn our attention to what has occurred in the country over the last 48 hours following the arrest of \"El Mencho,\" leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Propaganda"","block_context":{"text":"Propaganda","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/propaganda-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3097,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/an-anachronistic-debate-on-audience-rights\/","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":1},"title":"An Anachronistic Debate on Audience Rights","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"11 August, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes (August 10, 2026) In recent days, an interesting discussion has taken place in Mexico regarding audience rights, following the publication of new guidelines intended to guarantee them. Much of the commentary published in the media and on digital platforms has been critical, particularly regarding freedom of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Human Rights"","block_context":{"text":"Human Rights","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/human-rights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2968,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/time-and-generative-arificial-intelligence\/","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":2},"title":"Time and Generative Arificial Intelligence","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"5 May, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa, May 4, 2026 On November 30, 2022, a significant portion of humanity became aware, for the first time, of what generative artificial intelligence means. That day marked the mass release of ChatGPT, which, although it had existed since 2018, only began to gain widespread popularity at that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AI & Politics"","block_context":{"text":"AI & Politics","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/artificial-intelligence\/ai-politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2962,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/what-does-it-feel-like-to-live-in-a-world-cup-host-city\/","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":3},"title":"What Does It Feel Like to Live in a World Cup Host City?","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"20 April, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes (April 20, 2026) A few days ago, I was in a meeting with some foreign attendees and, before we began\u2014during that moment when everyone greets each other and chats about everyday matters\u2014one of them asked me what it felt like to live in a World Cup\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Desaparecidos"","block_context":{"text":"Desaparecidos","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/desaparecidos-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3147,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/attention-screens-and-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":4},"title":"Attention, Screens, and Education","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"24 August, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa, August 24, 2026 Fifteen days ago, I wrote about how anachronistic the national debate around audience rights seems to me and about how, in addition, this discussion reflects a moment of intense political polarization that prevents us from thinking clearly about which public problems we are trying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sin categorizar"","block_context":{"text":"Sin categorizar","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/category\/sin-categorizar\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2469,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/narcocorridos-as-a-form-of-propaganda\/","url_meta":{"origin":2516,"position":5},"title":"Narcocorridos as a Form of Propaganda","author":"Juan S. 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