Opinion: Lessons from the grassroots environmental victory at Overton Park
A photograph from 1970 shows Interstate 40 heading straight toward Overton Park. (Courtesy Willie Bearden)
Brooks Lamb
Brooks Lamb is the author of “Overton Park: A People’s History.” He is a graduate student at Yale School of the Environment, where he studies human-land relationships and stewardship virtues.
How did a small group of citizens persevere for so long to block an interstate route through the park? They cultivated relationships with the place, through walks in the forest and picnics by the lake. Close connections led to enduring affection.
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