Topic: Urban Renewal
Urban renewal, the West End Project, the North Station Project, the Government Center Project, City Hall, renewal projects in other cities
The West End (Of Cincinnati) and Urban Renewal Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood was a center of Black life in the city. Originally settled by self-emancipated Black residents and developed by meatpacking and other industries, the area went on to become a segregated but well-loved area of the city. Much like its Boston counterpart, the West…
Roosevelt Island: An Urban Planning Experiment in NYC’s East River Roosevelt Island has had many names and purposes since Europeans first began to settle New York City. After centuries as an isolated island for inmates, hospital patients, and impoverished New Yorkers, Roosevelt Island underwent a makeover in the late 20th century. It became a mixed…
The William Blackstone SchoolSchools of the Old West End, part 1 Built in 1913 to serve the West End’s growing immigrant population, the William Blackstone School served as a place of learning, a gathering place, and a sight of many memories until it closed its doors in 1959. The school was spared the initial years…
The Salem Downtown Renewal Plan: Part 2, Changing Times, Embracing Preservation By the 1970s, opponents of the Salem Redevelopment Authority had made their voices heard. As the national attitude towards urban renewal changed, Salem was an early adopter of a new strategy. Rehabilitation, preservation, and creating a city identity became important pieces of a new,…
The Salem Downtown Renewal Plan: Part 1, A Close Call with Destruction In the 1960s, historic downtown Salem faced the wrecking ball. With changing economic conditions and a belief in demolition before renovation, 82% of downtown was under scrutiny. However, thanks to grassroots activism and a few well placed allies in the public eye, Salem…
Urban Renewal in Easton, PA’s “Syrian Town” The mid-size industrial city of Easton, PA was home to a thriving population of Lebanese-Americans living in a diverse neighborhood. However, city officials deemed their neighborhood a slum and used urban renewal funding to displace thousands of residents. This article tells the story of Easton’s brush with urban…
Reclaiming History in Three Boston Neighborhoods: Sharing Memories of Chinatown, Little Syria, and New York Streets Reclaiming History: A Journey Through Three Neighborhoods explores the histories and community life of Chinatown, Little Syria, and the New York Streets before urban renewal, and the different fates of each post urban renewal. Window clings, a display case,…
Kendall Square: Urban Renewal to the World’s “Most Innovative Square Mile” The West End’s neighbor across the Charles River, Kendall Square, was designated an urban renewal project area. However, as federal involvement evaporated in the late 1960s, plans for a NASA compound would have to change. MIT stepped in to fill the urban renewal void.…
