Urban Redevelopment, Displacement And The Future Of The American City

Abstract

This paper examines the record of urban redevelopment during the last half of the 20th century.  The post World War II history of redevelopment is traced through five periods: slum clearance; clearance for public housing; national promotion of social change; redevelopment of central business districts; and, the federal retreat from cities.  The redevelopment problems that the federal urban renewal program attempted to address are identified, as are the serious failures of that program.  Community development corporations and public-private partnerships are identified as the potential solution to the Gordian Knot of redevelopment and displacement.