THE SPRAWLING OCTOPUS OF AN ELEVATED HIGHWAY | Cork, Ireland

In 1968, the BKS Traffic Plan for Cork city proposed an elevated highway, stretching from the Port to the Courthouse (Washington Street) and from Patrick’s Hill to Barrack Street. Over ninety acres of demolition for parking clearance and spaghetti junctions would have seen the centre of Cork city surrender to the motorcar. Michelle Delea's film The Sprawling Octopus of an Elevated Highway (2022) documents the actions of journalist Mary Leland andthe City Seventy Planning Group (born of Cork’s first class of architects), who rose up against the BKS Traffic Plan to protect and preserve the character of our city. In this documentary, the architects recall their college years in the Crawford School of Art, which led to youthful activism, prolific careers, and an enduring desire to see the city flourish.