Revitalizing New Haven's Neighborhoods

New Haven was known as the “model city”for a massive urban redesign in the 60s

By Where We Live - WNPR

Published: Jun 19, 2012

Photo:Payton Chung, Creative Commons

New Haven was once known as the “model city” - for a massive urban redesign in the 1950s and 60s.

That renewal - 50 years later - has divided the city. Literally and emotionally. Now, some of the damage is being repaired - a plan to reconnect a “downtown” crossing where homes and businesses were destroyed to make way for a highway.

But alongside this effort - there’s an attempt once again to take care of “blight” in the elm city. Last week New Haven acquired its first vacant property under an anti-blight ordinance - it allows the city to fine absentee owners, do repairs and place a lien on the property.

Meanwhile - others, like Ben Berkowitz of See Click Fix – are trying to spruce up the highway overpasses that still split the city up.

Today we’ll explore the issue of blight and look back at the 1960s - and find out what we can learn from New Haven’s urban renewal boom.

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