Urban Renewal
Urban renewal, also known as urban redevelopment, is a process aimed at revitalizing urban and rural areas by renovating existing structures or constructing new ones. This can encompass a variety of elements, including housing, parks, roads, and industrial spaces, with a primary goal often centered on economic revitalization and improving living conditions. The concept traces its roots to the nineteenth century, gaining prominence in cities like Paris and later in the United States post-World War II, when federal policies incentivized urban development.
While urban renewal can bring economic growth and enhance the aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods, it has also faced significant criticism. Detractors argue that these projects frequently lead to the displacement of low-income residents and the erasure of historic neighborhoods, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as "gentrification." Activists have raised concerns that such efforts can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, raising issues of social equity and cultural preservation. Despite these challenges, proponents highlight the potential for urban renewal to foster economic, health, and safety improvements, making cities more vibrant and inclusive spaces.
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Subject Terms
Urban Renewal
Urban renewal, also called urban redevelopment, is the process of rehabilitating living areas by restoring existing, dilapidated structures or building new structures. The renewal process can involve buildings, parks, roads, industrial areas, and housing developments. A common goal of urban renewal is economic revitalization. Urban renewal can also be used to improve the aesthetics and living conditions of poorly developed or underdeveloped urban or rural areas.
The state government is usually responsible for urban renewal projects. Many states hire specialized urban renewal experts and establish an organization to plan and manage these projects. Urban renewal can be financed through tax revenue increment financing, a strategy in which the project is financed using the difference in property tax revenue before and after the project.
Critics of urban renewal say the process displaces citizens, segregates and isolates neighborhoods, and destroys historic structures.
History
The idea of urban renewal originated in the nineteenth century just after the Industrial Revolution. Some of the earliest instances of urban renewal took place in England and France. For example, in an effort to modernize Paris, Emperor Napoleon III tasked Baron Haussmann with renovating this capital city between 1853 and 1870—one of the largest public projects ever completed. Haussmann's work, still visible in modern day Paris, included construction and refurbishment of streets, buildings, parks, suburbs, sewers, fountains, and more.
Around the same time, the poor slums of England came to the attention of social activists concerned with poverty in that country. The urban poor often lived in overcrowded, unsanitary, unsafe housing. Low wages and uncertain employment allowed these issues to persist for many decades. However, philanthropists began to pay attention to these deplorable conditions, leading to a surge of charitable efforts aimed at revitalizing poor areas. George Peabody and William Gibbs were renowned for their efforts in Westminster, England, specifically for their work on the notorious Devil's Acre on Old Pye Street. Donations from Peabody and Gibbs were used to build cheap, clean, sanitary housing for the poor. This development inspired philanthropists in other areas of England to follow suit.
The Great Depression also afforded England with the opportunity to assist the poor. The country initiated a series of housing acts that gave authorities permission to demolish deteriorated houses and replace them with clean, structurally sound buildings. Former slum inhabitants were relocated to newer, affordable housing developments. Throughout the 1930s, a number of poor areas of cities such as Bristol underwent major housing renovations.
Renewal Boom
A number of urban renewal projects cropped up across the United States between in the interwar period (1918-1940) and after World War II (1945). These efforts focused on clearing slums, demolishing unstable structures, and rehabilitating neighborhoods. For example, a number of urban development projects were conducted in New York City under the guidance of city planner Robert Moses. Moses instigated construction of new highways, parks, bridges, and housing developments. Other cities soon followed suit, establishing renewal programs in multiple areas throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
In 1949, the U.S. federal government passed the Housing Act of 1949, officially federalizing urban renewal. The program garnered little support in its early years and did not gain ground until 1954, with the Housing Act of 1954. This act made urban redevelopment projects more attractive to housing developers by offering federally backed loans and lower insurance rates. Soon, urban renewal was in progress across the United States, extending beyond housing to infrastructure. The Federal-Aid Highway Act, passed in 1956, led to the creation of multiple large-scale highways all over the country.
Criticism
By the 1960s, urban renewal projects began to garner criticism. Prominent African Americans accused the federal government of trying to weed out the black population by destroying neighborhoods. African American writer and activist James Baldwin referred to urban renewal as "Negro Removal." White populations voiced their opposition as well, as highway construction often cut through the center of cities, destroying historic areas and disconnecting neighborhoods from the rest of the city. Many businesses closed their doors, and neighborhoods soon fell into a state of disrepair.
By the 1970s, urban renewal efforts came under significant opposition. Journalist and activist Jane Jacobs, whose 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities critiqued urban renewal, inspired a wave of anti-urban renewal endeavors across the country. In an effort to save historic areas of their cities and protect local businesses, activists attempted to obstruct construction work. Though unsuccessful in many attempts, the movement eventually earned some recognition when the government began focusing on neighborhood redevelopment rather than demolition.
Opposition to urban renewal continued throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, however. Many urban redevelopment plans were criticized as "gentrification," a process where a neighborhood experiences an influx of wealthier individuals, leading to increased property values and the displacement of low-income residents and small businesses.
Benefits
Despites shortcomings, urban renewal also offers many benefits for communities. Urban renewal often produces economic, health, and safety benefits. It can save and rehabilitate dilapidated neighborhoods or commercial districts, making cities more attractive to tourists and commuters. Though urban renewal has been criticized for its ability to racially segregate an area, urban renewal also has the potential to allow communities to become more culturally diverse.
Bibliography
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