Urban Renewal strategies

1. Urban Renewal
URBAN DESIGN 101

2. URBAN RENEWAL
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of
moderate to high density urban land use.
Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed
nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the
rubric of reconstruction. The process has had a major impact on many
urban landscapes, and has played an important role in the history and
demographics of cities around the world.
Urban renewal involves the relocation of businesses, the demolition of
structures, the relocation of people, and the use of eminent
domain (government purchase of property for public purpose) as a legal
instrument to take private property for city-initiated development
projects.

3. URBAN RENEWAL
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 big business incentives.

4. Importance of Urban Renewal
Urban Renewal is of growing importance because of:
 urban areas are becoming larger and older, so more and more
renewal of urban fabric has to take place.
 constant expansion of urban areas into agricultural hinterland,
while large quantities of urban land and buildings are
abandoned and left dilapidated.

5. Roots of Urban Renewal
Term ‘Urban Renewal’ is American in Origin
It emerged in the late 1940s (post-war) as an attempt
to revitalize central cities.
Site clearance program remained in practice until
1960s.
Other emerging approaches came into practice
afterwards.

6. Basic Concepts
Urban Renewal programs are generally undertaken by
public authorities or by local governments.
The emphasis is on those parts which have fallen
below current standards of public acceptability. These
are commonly to be found in:
 the residential parts of the inner city,
 in the central business district itself.

7. Basic Concepts
Indicators for residential parts of inner cities are:
 inadequate housing,
 environmental degradation,
 presence of non-conforming uses.
Indicators for central business district are:
 traffic problems,
 congestion,
 dilapidated buildings.

8. Policies/ Approaches
Slum Clearance
 Demolition of dilapidated dwellings located in a slum (an area
of sub-standard, overcrowded housing occupied by the poor
immigrants)
Redevelopment
 The demolition of an existing building and its replacement by a
new building
Rehabilitation
The repair and improvement of existing structurally
sound property

9. Policies/ Approaches
Housing Improvement
Improvements of dwellings by provision of essential basic
amenities
Conservation
 To retain intact or unchanged. Also meant as ‘Preservation’
Environmental Improvements
 Main emphasis is to improve environmental conditions
Economic Renewal
 Improvement of economic conditions of dwellers

10. Policies/ Approaches
Following Projects fall under Urban Renewal:
 Redevelopment projects
 Economic development strategies
 Housing loans and other financial tools
 Streetscape improvements
 Transportation enhancement
 Historic preservation projects
 Parks and open spaces

11. URBAN RENEWAL
Urban renewal, comprehensive scheme to redress a complex
of urban problems, including unsanitary, deficient, or obsolete housing;
inadequate transportation, sanitation, and other services and facilities;
haphazard land use; traffic congestion; and the sociological correlates of
urban decay, such as crime. Early efforts usually focused on housing
reform and sanitary and public-health measures, followed by growing
emphasis on slum clearance and the relocation of population and
industry from congested areas to less-crowded sites, as in the garden-
city and new-towns movements in Great Britain. Late 20th-century
criticisms of urban sprawl prompted new interest in the efficiencies of
urban centralization.

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