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Highway construction in the United States uprooted thriving Black communities like Manchester in Pittsburgh. Highways also facilitated redistribution of (mainly white) population and resources from industrial river towns to sprawling, car-dependent suburbs. Prompted by the Biden administration’s commitment to building climate-conscious infrastructure, we are working with community members and urban development experts on a proposal to decommission PA65 and physically remove it in Manchester-Chateau. In contrast to ‘Transit Oriented Development’, we propose ‘Place Oriented Development’ which is people focused and environmentally friendly. Our proposal, Route Zero, will serve as a catalyst for renewed social infrastructure, local economic development and regional ecological restoration.