I can understand how it could have been a good idea at the time. Car ownership had only recently become mainstream and was rapidly growing as the dominant form

I can understand how it could have been a good idea at the time. Car ownership had only recently become mainstream and was rapidly growing as the dominant form of transport. Redesigning cities that have historically catered to pedestrians and horses to be ready for the transport of the future was quite forward-thinking, however poorly it turned out.