#community development

[pettytiredandjewish]

IMPORTANT

Hey- To those who works in museums and libraries:

Trump just signed an executive order to dismantle the institute of museum and library services

(and six other federal agencies: the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency.)

Please spread the word

[sundusbhattiportfolio]

Urban Renewal vs. Public Housing: Lessons from Baltimore and Pruitt-Igoe

Urban renewal and public housing have played a central role in shaping American cities, often with conflicting results. While urban renewal aims to modernize and revitalize decaying cityscapes, it frequently displaces long-standing communities, exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities. Conversely, public housing has been used to provide affordable homes for low-income populations, yet poor planning and neglect have led to segregation, poverty concentration, and failure.

This article explores these urban planning challenges through two significant case studies: Baltimore’s Inner Harbor renewal project and the Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex in St. Louis. These examples reveal the successes and failures of 20th-century urban planning, offering critical lessons for the future of equitable city development.

The Case for Urban Renewal: Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

In the mid-to-late 20th century, Baltimore launched one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects in the U.S., aimed at revitalizing its deteriorating downtown and waterfront areas. The redevelopment of Charles Center and the Inner Harbor sought to attract businesses, tourists, and high-income residents back into the urban core.

✅ Economic Growth & Tourism Boost:

The Inner Harbor was transformed into a vibrant commercial and cultural hub, with attractions like the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center.

New retail, office spaces, and residential developments increased property values and business investments.

✅ Mixed-Use Development & Walkability:

The project embraced modern urban design principles, making the Inner Harbor a 24-hour activity zone instead of a purely business district.

The redevelopment created public spaces, waterfront promenades, and green areas, making the area more livable and attractive.

However, despite these successes, Baltimore’s renewal came with a price—one paid disproportionately by lower-income residents.

📉 Displacement & Gentrification:

The rising cost of living forced many working-class and minority residents out of the area.

Long-standing communities were pushed to the city's margins, leading to increased inequality and social tensions.

📉 Who Really Benefited?

Many of the jobs created by urban renewal did not go to local residents but rather to suburban commuters and outside investors.

The benefits were concentrated in wealthier, predominantly White areas, deepening racial and economic disparities.

Lesson: Urban renewal can drive economic growth, but without equitable policies, it risks displacing the very communities it aims to uplift. Sustainable urban planning should incorporate affordable housing, job creation, and community input to ensure benefits reach all residents.

The Failure of Public Housing: St. Louis’ Pruitt-Igoe Disaster

While Baltimore’s renewal focused on economic revitalization, St. Louis’ Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex is a cautionary tale of poorly executed housing policies. Built in the 1950s, Pruitt-Igoe was meant to be a modern, affordable housing solution for low-income residents. However, within two decades, it became one of the most infamous failures of public housing in America.

📉 Economic & Social Isolation:

As St. Louis lost manufacturing jobs and white flight accelerated suburbanization, Pruitt-Igoe’s predominantly Black residents faced growing unemployment and poverty.

Many residents struggled to afford rent, leading to funding shortages for maintenance and services.

📉 Poor Urban Design & Maintenance Neglect:

The "towers in the park" design created isolated, unsafe spaces that became hotspots for crime.

Elevator breakdowns, vandalism, and lack of maintenance made the complex nearly uninhabitable.

📉 Demolition: The End of an Era

By the late 1960s, Pruitt-Igoe had become a symbol of public housing failure.

In 1972, just two decades after its construction, the federal government demolished the entire complex—a moment often regarded as the death of high-rise public housing projects in the U.S.

Lesson: Public housing cannot succeed without long-term economic investment, proper maintenance, and integration into the broader urban fabric. Instead of isolating low-income populations in concentrated developments, policies should prioritize mixed-income housing, economic support, and community services.

Urban Planning Lessons for the Future

The contrasting stories of Baltimore and Pruitt-Igoe illustrate the complex challenges of urban development. Both cases emphasize the need for urban planning approaches that balance economic development with social equity.

✅ Urban Renewal Should Include Community-Driven Growth

Economic development should not come at the cost of displacing vulnerable communities.

Cities must include affordable housing policies, local hiring initiatives, and resident engagement in renewal projects.

✅ Public Housing Must Be Integrated, Not Isolated

Instead of large, isolated housing blocks, urban planners should invest in mixed-income, mixed-use developments that connect residents to jobs and services.

Public housing policies should prioritize maintenance and long-term sustainability rather than quick-fix solutions.

✅ Equitable Urban Planning Requires Thoughtful Policy

Planners and policymakers must address historical inequities in housing and economic access.

Transit, education, and workforce development programs should accompany any large-scale urban redevelopment effort.

Conclusion: Rethinking Urban Development for the 21st Century

Urban renewal and public housing remain central to urban development debates today. Baltimore’s Inner Harbor shows the power of economic revitalization—but also its risks of gentrification and exclusion. Pruitt-Igoe, on the other hand, serves as a lesson in the failure of isolated, underfunded public housing projects.

For cities to create sustainable, inclusive growth, planners must move beyond outdated models and embrace community-centered, equitable policies that ensure all residents benefit from urban progress.

[ivygorgon]

📨 An open letter to State Governors & Legislatures

🚜 End Homelessness, Grow Local! A Bold Plan for America

✍️ 2 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

I am reaching out with a proposal that could significantly reduce our reliance on imported produce while also addressing our growing homelessness crisis. With the current economic downturn, rising tariffs, and a rising crime rate, action is critical.

Between 2023 and 2024, 102 homeless individuals died on Anchorage Alaska’s streets, despite their $190 million budget for mutual aid. The current approach is not yielding results. I propose a new initiative: developing seasonal farm housing for homeless individuals willing to participate in agricultural work.

Under this program, individuals would receive stable housing with the contractual obligation to maintain and work a state-owned farm. Failure to meet these obligations beyond a reasonable extent would result in termination of the contract. To ensure accountability and a path to stability, participants could be subject to mandatory drug testing.

This initiative offers multiple benefits: • Addressing homelessness by providing stable, purpose-driven housing. • Boosting local food production and reducing reliance on costly imports. • Restoring hope and reducing substance abuse, as meaningful work and stability are proven deterrents to addiction and crime.

Financially, this proposal is feasible. An acre of undeveloped land in Alaska costs approximately $10,000. In contrast, the state spent nearly $50,000 per homeless person last year, with no significant improvement. Redirecting these funds could secure multiple acres per person, including space for small housing units, with even greater efficiency for homeless families sharing lots.

This is an opportunity to invest in self-sufficiency, economic stability, and human dignity. I urge you to consider this initiative and explore how we can implement a sustainable solution for our future.

📱 Text SIGN POJWPQ to 50409 🤯 Text FOLLOW IVYGORGON to 50409 for more!

[kree8r0]

Is peace always possible?

This post is a response to a question initially posed on Quora, and can also be accessed via “https://www.quora.com/Is-peace-always-possible/answer/Antonio-Amaral-1“ Of course, peace is always possible. The challenge is making it desirable enough for all parties to commit to making it possible. Peace is otherwise impossible when one or more parties refuse to accept compromise as the only path…

[russelllamon]

📸 @him.russ

@Houston Public Media

[afrotumble]

Community development initiatives in Kasungu, Malawi. Courtesy of the Moving Windmills organisation founded by William Kamkwamba.

[luna-azzurra]

Emotional Walls Your Character Has Built (And What Might Finally Break Them)

(How your character defends their soft core and what could shatter it) Because protection becomes prison real fast.

✶ Sarcasm as armor. (Break it with someone who laughs gently, not mockingly.) ✶ Hyper-independence. (Break it with someone who shows up even when they’re told not to.) ✶ Stoicism. (Break it with a safe space to fall apart.) ✶ Flirting to avoid intimacy. (Break it with real vulnerability they didn’t see coming.) ✶ Ghosting everyone. (Break it with someone who won’t take silence as an answer.) ✶ Lying for convenience. (Break it with someone who sees through them but stays anyway.) ✶ Avoiding touch. (Break it with accidental, gentle contact that feels like home.) ✶ Oversharing meaningless things to hide real depth. (Break it with someone who asks the second question.) ✶ Overworking. (Break it with forced stillness and the terrifying sound of their own thoughts.) ✶ Pretending not to care. (Break it with a loss they can’t fake their way through.) ✶ Avoiding mirrors. (Break it with a quiet compliment that hits too hard.) ✶ Turning every conversation into a joke. (Break it with someone who doesn’t laugh.) ✶ Being everyone’s helper. (Break it when someone asks what they need, and waits for an answer.) ✶ Constantly saying “I’m fine.” (Break it when they finally scream that they’re not.) ✶ Running. Always running. (Break it with someone who doesn’t chase, but doesn’t leave, either.) ✶ Intellectualizing every feeling. (Break it with raw, messy emotion they can’t logic away.) ✶ Trying to be the strong one. (Break it when someone sees the weight they’re carrying, and offers to help.) ✶ Hiding behind success. (Break it when they succeed and still feel empty.) ✶ Avoiding conflict at all costs. (Break it when silence causes more pain than the truth.) ✶ Focusing on everyone else’s healing but their own. (Break it when they hit emotional burnout.)

[thepanvelite]

Rtn. Sanjay Rokade appointed Club President for Rotary 2025-26.

[baddawgsports]

🏆 Game-changer for Canadian soccer! Canada Soccer's new Club+ initiative is here to support community clubs nationwide. From volunteer recruitment to marketing tools - everything clubs need to grow! 🇨🇦⚽ Link in bio to register! #Club+ #CanadaSoccer #CommunityFirst

[mlcaresfoundation]

M Lhuillier, a trusted name in financial services and community support, continues to make a meaningful impact—this time by reaching out to four schools in the Cebu South region. Through the efforts of its committed outreach team, OPEC Sawot, M Lhuillier carried out a heartfelt initiative aimed at uplifting students and enhancing educational resources.

[fandfnews]

Hungarian State Secretary Tristan Azbej outlines Hungary's collaborative approach to African development

[ivygorgon]

📨 An open letter to State Governors & Legislatures

🚜 End Homelessness, Grow Local! A Bold Plan for America

✍️ 2 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

Alaska spent $190M on homelessness last year, yet 102 lives were lost on the streets. It’s time for a continental solution that works.

✅ Develop seasonal farm housing for homeless individuals ✅ Provide stable housing with work opportunities in agriculture ✅ Boost local food production & reduce reliance on imports ✅ Invest in dignity, purpose, and self-sufficiency

Acreage costs a fraction of current spending—let’s build a future where no one is left behind. Support this initiative today!

📱 Text SIGN POJWPQ to 50409 🤯 Text FOLLOW IVYGORGON to 50409 for more!

[detroitography]

Event: Detroit Data Forum: Clean Energy

Welcome to our Data Forum where we will discuss clean energy advancements in Detroit. Join us in-person or online for lunch-and-learn filled with insightful discussions, tips, and tricks on all things related to the data. We’ll be joined by the Tepfirah Rushdan, Director of the City of Detroit Office of Sustainability, Gary Ringer, Executive Director of Joy-Southfield CDC, and Arena Johnson,…