Urban renewal

Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in British English) is a movement in urban planning that reached its peak in the United States from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. It has had a massive impact on the urban landscape and continues to the present day. It has also played an important role in cities worldwide, such as Saint John, New Brunswick, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, and Bilbao, Spain.

Related Topics:
British English - United States - 1940s - 1970s - Saint John, New Brunswick - Darlinghurst, New South Wales - Bilbao, Spain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Urban renewal is controversial, as it often imples the use of eminent domain law to enforce reclaiming private property for civic projects.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And while envisioned as a way to redevelop residential slums and blighted commercial areas, "renewal" often resulted in the creation of urban sprawl?vast areas being demolished and replaced by freeways and expressways, housing projects, and vacant lots?some of which remained vacant at the beginning of the 21st century.

Related Topics:
Slums - Blighted - Urban sprawl - Freeways and expressways - Housing projects - 21st century

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While renewal projects did revitalize many cities, it was often at a high cost to existing communities, and in many cases simply resulted in the destruction of vibrant?if run-down —neighborhoods. Urban renewal in its original form has been called a failure by many urban planners and civic leaders, and has since been reformulated with a focus on redevelopment of existing communities. However, many cities link the revitalization of the central business district and gentrification of residential neighborhoods to earlier urban renewal programs. Over time, urban renewal evolved into a policy based less on destruction and more on renovation and investment, and today is an integral part of many local governments, often combined with small and large business incentives.

Related Topics:
Gentrification - Small - Large business

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~