The Big Dig: The Beginning of the Anti-Highway Movement

The podcast episode explores the origins of the anti-highway movement in America, focusing on the story of the inner belt in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Southwest Expressway in Boston. The episode highlights the activism and protests of residents, as well as the efforts of Fred Salvucci, a transportation planner, to improve the designs and reduce the destructive effects of the highways. It discusses the role of Governor Francis Sargent in ultimately canceling the construction of the highways and shifting the focus towards investing in mass transit and alternative transportation options. The episode emphasizes the power of grassroots movements and community organizing against destructive infrastructure projects.