Divided Highway. As a freeway comes down, Syracuse, New York, faces its legacy of segregation

[Midnightwalk]

2. I've become a lot more aware over the past decade or so

Especially when I walk around different places.

Above ground railroad tracks are often fenced/barricaded then are the same. There are sections of my small city that are fenced off between the mile or so between major streets for at least 2-3 miles so you can't go east/west easily. It's obvious meant to keep the wrong people from travelling that way.

Some neighborhoods have a few entries/exits for car traffic, but fence off every other possible way through. Washes, vacant lots, even store parking lots completely fenced in.

Bridges over natural or man made barriers facilitate going between neighborhoods, but you learn to see what's connected an what isn't, and what looks inviting to cross vs creepy.

Zoning matters too. You don't seem many people walking through industrial areas that connect different neighborhoods and the "dead zone" often extends past them.

Walking gives you time to see it and start noticing what is easily connected and what isn't.

The article gave some history of Syracuse which I found interesting. I remember explaining red lining to a friend years ago and his surprise that there was such a thing.