Where was the "Model Cities" area of Detroit

referring to one component of LBJ's "War on Poverty." Was it on the East Side, the West Side, one contiguous neighborhood, or several? One conservative posted on the net that it is nine square miles, and is one of the more desolate hoods today.

Lafayette Park was one. As was the Corktown industrial area.

Really?? Lafayette Park is where Black Bottom used to be, and the CIA [[along with Cobo Hall, earlier) replaced some nice antebellum and Victorian Homes. But Lafayette Park, I think, is doing OK [[though not exactly low cost housing for the Poor). When critics say it didn't work, maybe the mean the surrounding area.

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Originally Posted by drpoundsign

Really?? Lafayette Park is where Black Bottom used to be, and the CIA [[along with Cobo Hall, earlier) replaced some nice antebellum and Victorian Homes. But Lafayette Park, I think, is doing OK [[though not exactly low cost housing for the Poor). When critics say it didn't work, maybe the mean the surrounding area.

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There's plenty of low cost housing for the poor in Lafayette Park area. A large number of the urban renewal complexes are subsidized project or Section 8 housing.

Model Cities wasn't specifically targeted to the most troubled areas, necessarily.

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Originally Posted by drpoundsign

Really?? Lafayette Park is where Black Bottom used to be, and the CIA [[along with Cobo Hall, earlier) replaced some nice antebellum and Victorian Homes. But Lafayette Park, I think, is doing OK [[though not exactly low cost housing for the Poor). When critics say it didn't work, maybe the mean the surrounding area.

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It is easy to armchair quarterback 40-50 years later and come to a conclusion that fits your hypothesis. Model Cities was seen as a way to dig people out of poverty. It is hard to dig out of poverty when over that same time period automation hit what was once a relatively well paid workforce. I would say at best the results were mixed, it would be positive if the money would have been spent on the Vietnam War instead.

Ahh...Vietnam and the Moon Shots [[the '69 landing WAS awesome!) The years of Guns and Butter. True that losing the auto jobs in a one horse town like this can be Fatal. And, yes Bham, they concerned themselves with the Lower East Side, while the Near West Side and North End were going downhill and ready to boil over.

Lafayette park is the only mixed income integrated development in the country from the middle of the last century that was successful.

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Originally Posted by jaytheory

Lafayette park is the only mixed income integrated development in the country from the middle of the last century that was successful.

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How did you come up with that theory?

Lots of places born during the urban renewal era are mixed-income, integrated and reasonably successful. And is Lafayette Park really some raging success? It's very affordable, even the Mies townhouses. Cheaper than a Royal Oak bungalow.