Modern Living: The Roads of Rome

Like great beasts sickening with a common plague, the world's big cities have long been struggling to keep from choking to death on the automobile. During the past few years, in the wake of Italy's economic miracle, Rome developed an advanced case of the disease in its streets designed for chariots and its piazzas designed for people.

Ten-minute trips turned into hour-long undertakings, and it was always rush hour in this siesta city, where people normally go home to celebrate the three-hour lunch. Business suffered, and so did social life; instead of zipping across Rome in their Ferraris to make three parties...

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