Market Street in the 1900s Ostensibly a Playground

The good folks over at Vox put together a collection of neat photo sliders to demonstrate how much the American urban landscape has changed from the early 1900s to now, particularly how roads were used. According to Peter Norton, a historian at the University of Virginia, in the early years of the 20th century "pedestrians were walking in the streets anywhere they wanted, whenever they wanted, usually without looking." However, in the years that followed, as cars began to spread, accidents increased and eventually pedestrians were relegated to crosswalks. "Today, few people are aware that city streets were once a bustling mix of pedestrians, streetcars, pushcart vendors, and children at play — an environment that Norton likens to a city park." [Vox]