How an old loop of railroads is changing the face of a city | Ryan Gravel

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: Beatrice Lau

This picture

這照片

is from my metro card

是我捷運卡上的照片，

when I spent a year abroad in Paris in college in the mid-'90s.

當時是 90 年代中期， 我在巴黎的大學留學一年。

My friend says I look like a French anarchist --

朋友說我看起來像個 法國無政府主義者──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But this is still what I see

但他仍是早晨攬鏡自照時 我所看見的自己。

when I look in the mirror in the morning.

Within a month of living in Paris, I'd lost 15 pounds

住在巴黎的頭一個月 我瘦了 15 磅，

and I was in the best shape of my life

是一生中身材最好的時候，

because I was eating fresh food

因為我總是食用新鮮食物，

and I was walking wherever I went.

並且到任何地方都安步當車。

Having grown up in suburban Atlanta,

我在亞特蘭大的郊區長大，

a region built largely by highways and automobiles

當地主要依汽車和公路而建，

and with a reputation as a poster child for sprawl,

是個城市擴張建設的樣板。

Paris fundamentally changed the way I understood

巴黎徹底改變了 我對於周遭建設的認知。

the construction of the world around me,

and I got obsessed with the role of infrastructure --

從此我迷上了基礎設施的角色──

that it's not just the way to move people from point A to point B,

它不僅被用來把人們 從甲地送到乙地，

it's not just the way to convey water or sewage or energy,

也不只運輸淨水、污水或能源，

but it's the foundation for our economy.

而是我們經濟的基礎。

It's the foundation for our social life and for our culture,

它是我們社交生活和文化的基礎，

and it really matters to the way that we live.

與我們的生活方式息息相關。

When I came home, I was instantly frustrated,

回到家鄉的那一刻我立即感到沮喪，

stuck in traffic as I crossed the top end of our perimeter highway.

被堵在環城公路的路口上。

Not only was I not moving a muscle,

我不僅僅沒移動任何一塊肌肉，

I had no social interaction

而且與身旁成千上萬 匆匆而過的人們沒任何互動；

with the hundreds of thousands of people that were hurtling past me,

like me, with their eyes faced forward and their music blaring.

他們和我一樣，直視著前方， 耳中充斥著樂聲。

I wondered if this was an inevitable outcome,

我在想，這是不可避免的結果嗎？

or could we do something about it.

還是我們能做些改變呢？

Was it possible to transform this condition in Atlanta

有沒有可能把亞特蘭大的環境

into the kind of place that I wanted to live in?

變成我想居住的那種樣貌呢？

I went back to grad school in architecture and city planning,

我回到建築和城市設計研究所，

developed this interest in infrastructure,

對基礎設施產生了興趣，

and in 1999 came up with an idea

在 1999 年想好了論文的題目：

for my thesis project:

the adaptation of an obsolete loop of old railroad circling downtown

把環繞市中心的廢舊鐵路

as a new infrastructure for urban revitalization.

改建成復甦城市的新基礎建設。

It was just an idea.

當時那只是個想法。

I never thought we would actually build it.

從未想過我們真會實踐它。

But I went to work at an architecture firm,

我任職於一家建築公司，

and eventually talked to my coworkers about it,

後來和同事談起，

and they loved the idea.

他們很喜愛這個想法。

And as we started talking to more people about it,

我們開始與更多人分享這想法，

more people wanted to hear about it.

越來越多的人想瞭解這想法。

In the summer of 2001,

在 2001 年夏天，

we connected with Cathy Woolard,

我們與凱西 ･ 伍拉德取得聯繫，

who was soon elected city council president.

不久後，她被選為市議會議長。

And we built a citywide vision around this idea:

我們就此想法建立了全市的願景：

the Atlanta BeltLine, a 22-mile loop

一條 22 英里長，用來運輸、 通行和轉型的「亞特蘭大環線」。

of transit and trails and transformation.

I was doing two and three meetings a week for two and a half years,

在兩年半的期間裡 我每週要開兩三次會，

and so was Cathy and her staff and a handful of volunteers.

凱西、她的員工和一些志願者也是。

Together, we built this amazing movement of people and ideas.

我們共同啟動了美妙的人們與想法：

It included community advocates who were used to fighting against things,

包括了原先鼓吹抵制的社區者，

but found the Atlanta BeltLine as something that they could fight for;

如今知道亞特蘭大環線 是他們能夠爭取的，

developers who saw the opportunity

見到能從新的城市增長 契機中獲利的建商，

to take advantage of a lot of new growth in the city;

and dozens of nonprofit partners who saw their mission

和數十家非營利性的合作夥伴，

他們看到能經由合作共同的願景 而達成部分的自身使命。

at least partly accomplished by the shared vision.

Now, usually these groups of people aren't at the same table

一般說來，這些人是不會 聚集一堂尋求共同結果的。

wanting the same outcome.

But there we were, and it was kind of weird,

雖然奇怪，但我們聚在一起，

but it was really, really powerful.

力量非常的強大。

The people of Atlanta fell in love with a vision

亞特蘭大人喜愛這願景，

that was better than what they saw through their car windshields,

勝於他們車窗外看到的景色。

and the people of Atlanta made it happen,

亞特蘭大人實現了這願景，

and I guarantee you we would not be building it otherwise.

若非如此，我們無法建得起來。

From the beginning, our coalition was diverse.

從一開始就是多樣化的合作，

People of all stripes were part of our story.

來自不同領域的人是我們的成員。

People on the lower end of the economic spectrum loved it, too.

經濟上的弱勢者也喜愛這計畫。

They were just afraid they weren't going to be able to be there

他們只怕建好的時候太貴了， 他們負擔不起。

when it got built, that they'd be priced out.

And we've all heard that kind of story before, right?

我們都聽說過那樣的事，對吧？

But we promised that the Atlanta BeltLine would be different,

但是我們承諾 亞特蘭大環線將會不同。

and people took ownership of the idea,

人們以貢獻想法為己任，

and they made it better than anything we ever imagined

使它遠超出我們最初的想像，

in the beginning,

including significant subsidies for housing,

包括顯著的住房補貼、

new parks, art, an arboretum -- a list that continues to grow.

新公園、藝術建築、植物園── 表單持續地增長。

And we put in place

我們設立了為實現這些的 必要組織和機構。

the organizations and agencies that were required to make it happen.

And importantly, it is.

重要的是，必須要實現。

Now we're in the early stages of implementation, and it's working.

我們目前正處於早期建造的階段，

進展相當不錯。

The first mainline section of trail was opened in 2012,

第一段主線道於 2012 年啟用，

and it's already generated over three billion dollars

來自私營部門的投資 已達三十多億美元。

of private-sector investment.

But it's not only changing the physical form of the city,

它不僅改變了城市的外貌，

it's changing the way we think about the city,

也改變了我們對城市的看法，

and what our expectations are for living there.

以及對於居住環境的期待。

About a month ago,

大約一個月前，

I had to take my kids with me to the grocery store

我要帶孩子上超市，

and they were complaining about it,

他們很不情願，

because they didn't want to get in the car.

因為不想坐車。

They were saying, "Dad, if we have to go,

他們問：「爸爸，若我們必須跟著，

can we at least ride our bikes?"

讓我們騎自行車去好嗎？」

And I said, "Of course we can.

我回答：「當然好啊。

That's what people in Atlanta do.

我們亞特蘭大人 就是騎自行車上超市的。」

We ride our bikes to the grocery store."

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you, yeah.

好耶。謝謝。

Now, they don't know how ridiculous that is,

他們不知道那有多荒謬，

but I do.

而我知道。

And I also understand that their expectations for Atlanta

並且我明白，

他們對亞特蘭大的期許 是多麼的強而有力。

are really powerful.

This kind of transformation is exactly like sprawl

這樣的轉變與上個世紀的 城市擴張相似，

in the last century,

the movement where our investment in highways and automobiles

當時人們投資於公路和汽車，

fundamentally changed American life.

徹底的改變了美國人的生活。

That wasn't some grand conspiracy.

那並非什麼大陰謀。

There were conspiracies within it, of course.

當然，裡頭是有些陰謀。

But it was a cultural momentum.

但那是文化的動能。

It was millions of people making millions of decisions

當時在相當長的一段時間裡， 數百萬人做出數百萬個決定，

over an extended period of time,

that fundamentally changed not only the way that we build cities,

不僅徹底改變了我們造鎮的方式，

but it changed our expectations

也改變了我們對於生活的期待。

for our lives.

These changes were the foundations for urban sprawl.

這樣的改變是城市擴張的基礎。

We didn't call it sprawl at that time.

在當時未被稱為城市擴張，

We called it the future.

而稱之為「未來」。

And it was.

的確是未來。

And we got all the highways and strip malls and cul-de-sacs we wanted.

我們得到高速公路、 大型購物商場和死路。

It was a radical transformation,

那是翻天覆地的變化，

but it was built by a cultural momentum.

來自於文化的動能。

So it's important to not separate

因此，不去區隔

the physical construction of the places we live

我們居住地的硬體建築 與其他當時發生的事物

from other things that are happening at that time.

極其重要。

At that time,

當時

in the second half of the last century,

在二十世紀的後半，

science was curing disease

科學治癒了疾病，

and lifting us to the moon,

把人類送上月球，

and the sexual revolution was breaking down barriers,

性別革命突破了原本的障礙，

and the Civil Rights Movement began its march

民權運動也正開始

toward the fulfillment of our nation's promise.

向實現國家承諾的方向邁進。

Television, entertainment, food, travel, business -- everything was changing,

電視、娛樂、食物、 旅遊和商務全都在變化著，

and both the public and private sectors were colluding

公、私部門共謀

to give us the lives we wanted.

給予我們所嚮往的生活。

The Federal Highway Administration,

例如，美國聯邦公路總署 在高速公路出現前並不存在。

for example, didn't exist before there were highways.

Think about it.

值得深思啊。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Of course, today it's important to understand and acknowledge

當然，重要的是 今天我們應當理解並認知到

that those benefits accrued to some groups of people

有些人獲益，

and not to others.

而其他人則否。

It was not an equitable cultural momentum.

那個文化動能並不平等。

But when we look today in wonder and disgust, maybe,

或許我們今天對眼前的城市擴張 投以驚訝和厭惡的目光，

at the metropolis sprawl before us,

we wonder if we're stuck.

納悶是否已萬劫不復。

Are we stuck with the legacy of that inequity?

我們是否已深陷不平等的遺害中？

Are we stuck with this dystopian traffic hellscape?

是否陷入非樂園的交通地獄中？

Are we stuck with rampant urban displacement,

是否嵌在蔓生和移位的城市，

with environmental degradation?

以及傾頹的環境中呢？

Are we stuck with social isolation

是否陷入了社會孤立，

or political polarization?

或兩極化的政治裡呢？

Are these the inevitable and permanent outcomes?

這些是無可避免的永恆結局嗎？

Or are they the result of our collective cultural decisions

或者，這些是我們 自決自造的共業呢？

that we've made for ourselves?

And if they are,

果真如此，

can't we change them?

我們能改變現狀嗎？

What I have learned from our experience in Atlanta

我在亞特蘭大學到的經驗

is not an anomaly.

並非特例。

Similar stories are playing out everywhere,

各地有著相似的故事，

where people are reclaiming not only old railroads,

人們不僅重新活化舊鐵道、

but also degraded urban waterways and obsolete roadways,

惡化的城市下水道、廢棄的公路，

reinventing all of the infrastructure

重塑他們生活中的種種基礎設施。

in their lives.

Whether here in New York

無論是在紐約這裡

or in Houston

或是休斯頓、

or Miami,

邁阿密、

Detroit, Philadelphia,

底特律、費城、

Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore,

首爾、香港、新加坡、

Toronto and Paris,

多倫多和巴黎。

cities big and small all over the world are reclaiming and reinventing

世界各地大大小小的城市 都在為自己糾正並重新設計

this infrastructure for themselves,

他們的基礎設施；

including the mother of all catalyst infrastructure projects,

其中包括了基礎設施的 原始建設範例──

the Los Angeles River,

洛杉磯河。

the revitalization effort for which similarly started

類似的振興努力

as a grassroots movement,

始於草根運動，

has developed into a cultural momentum,

現已發展為文化動能，

and is now in the early stages of being transformed

目前正處於轉型為某種 樹立生活基礎設施的早期階段。

into some kind of life-affirming infrastructure again,

this one with trails and parks and fishing and boating

洛杉磯河這個有著小徑、 公園、垂釣、划船、

and community revitalization,

社區振興，

and of course, water quality and flood control.

當然還包括了改善水質和防洪。

It's already improving the lives of people.

它已提高人們的生活水平。

It's already changing the way the rest of us think about Los Angeles.

也改變了我們這些外人 對洛杉磯的認知。

This is more than just infrastructure.

這些遠遠超出了基礎的設施。

We're building new lives for ourselves.

我們正在為自身建立新的生活。

It's a movement that includes local food, urban agriculture,

這振興運動包括了 本地食品、城市農業、

craft beer, the maker movement,

啤酒工藝、製造商動態、

tech and design -- all of these things, early indicators of a really radical shift

科技與設計等等，

全都指示著我們正在徹底改變 建設城市的方式。

in the way we build cities.

We're taking places like this

我們正把這樣的地方

and transforming them into this.

轉變為這樣，

And soon this.

不久後將成為這樣。

And this is all exciting and good.

這令人興奮，很不錯。

We're changing the world for the better.

我們正把世界變好。

Good for us!

恭喜我們做得好！

And it is awesome -- I mean that.

我衷心認為太棒了。

But our history of sprawl,

但是我們擴張城市的歷史，

and from what we can already see with these catalyst projects today,

以及今日我們 從這類觸媒計畫中學到的，

we know and must remember

心知肚明我們必須記得，

that big changes like this don't usually benefit everyone.

這樣的劇變並非人人得益。

The market forces unleashed by this cultural momentum

文化動能釋出的市場力道

often include the seemingly unstoppable

通常包括看來擋不住、

and inevitable cycle of rising taxes, prices and rents.

避免不了稅金、物價和租金的上揚。

This is urgent.

這很緊迫。

If we care, we have to stand up

如果在乎，就必須挺身而出，

and speak out.

大聲疾呼。

This should be a call to action,

應該號召行動，

because the answer can't be to not improve communities.

因為不改善社區並非選項。

The answer can't be to not build parks and transit and grocery stores.

不建造公園、運輸系統和雜貨店 並不是解決之道。

The answer can't be to hold communities down

不能讓社區繼續沒落下去，

just to keep them affordable.

只為了使它仍然平價、負擔得起。

But we do have to follow through and address the financial realities

但我們接下來必須面對 並解決現實的財務問題。

that we're facing.

This is hard, and it won't happen on its own.

很難，它不會自行轉好。

We can do it, and I'm committed to this goal in Atlanta,

我們做得到。

我承諾要在亞特蘭大做到，

to sticking up again for people who made it possible in the first place.

為支持此計畫的人們挺身而出。

We can't call it a success without them.

沒有他們，就稱不上成功。

I certainly can't,

我當然不以為那樣算成功，

because the people I made commitments to all those years

因為這些年來我所許諾的對象 可不是抽象的人。

weren't abstract populations.

They're my friends and neighbors.

他們是我的朋友和鄰居。

They're people that I love.

我愛他們。

So even though it started as my graduate thesis

儘管一開始只是篇研究生論文，

and I'm working hard for 16 years with thousands of people

過去 16 年來我與幾千人合作，

to help make this thing come to life,

致力於實現它。

I know and believe that who the BeltLine is being built for

我明白與相信，

為誰而做這環線 與為何而做同等的重要。

is just as important as whether it's built at all.

Not just in Atlanta,

不只是亞特蘭大，

but locally and globally,

而是各地以及全球，

we have to understand

我們必須瞭解，

this accountability to the people whose lives we are changing,

為那些生活被我們改變的人負責。

because this is us.

因為是我們的，

We are the lives we're talking about.

我們討論的正是我們的生活。

These places aren't inevitable.

並非註定變差，

The places we live aren't inevitable,

我們的居住環境變差並非無可避免。

and if we want something different, we just need to speak up.

若我們希望有所不同， 就必須大聲說出來。

We have to ensure that change comes on our terms.

必須確保依據我們的條件而改變。

And to do that,

為了做得到，

we have to participate actively in the process of shaping change.

我們必須積極參與塑造改變的過程。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）