Urban Renewal Then and Now

[ElmwodParkRez]

Here's a YouTube clip just as pertinent today as it was 50 years ago. Brief clips of Detroit waterfront, the 1300 Building and Mt Clemons public housing are included. What do you think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpzEiM0Wt14

[Danny]

I have seen urban renewal before, It's starts with Dearborn, Southfield and Troy and all the way north to 30 Mile Rd.

[3d123]

[QUOTE=ElmwodParkRez;427609]Here's a YouTube clip just as pertinent today as it was 50 years ago. Brief clips of Detroit waterfront, the 1300 Building and Mt Clemons public housing are included. What do you think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpzEiM0Wt14

Too true, EPR. I spent 20 years trying to grow up on Pembridge -- when I bought my first house on Hereford, way out in the far east, we pulled the old, dark, faux-wood paneling off the basement walls, and behind one, were some freeps from the mid '60's.

The stories could have been written today: Rennaisance, decay, crime, departure... A reminder to maintain perspective, one way or the other -- with an eyebrow raised to the anomalous oughts.

I love the cadence of the narrative and angsty music that reigned at the time, from public service announcements, to documentaries to the twightlight zone: Detroit's re-birth as told by Sisyphus, followed by Groundhog's day -- the decay...

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

It seems as though the same guy always narrates in the clips I see from the 50's and 60's. Its a voice and style that seems unique to that era.

Somewhere around 17:40 in the video he gushes over the good design of Northland. That surprised me a bit, although I know it was well received for a long time.

They mention St. Francis Square here in SF as well designed low-cost urban housing. Its still around and is currently a co-op. If any one is interested, there's one unit for $369,000 and one for $400,000.

http://www.sfsquarecoop.com/Available_Units.html

[animatedmartian]

Somewhere around 17:40 in the video he gushes over the good design of Northland. That surprised me a bit, although I know it was well received for a long time.

I noticed that too, though at the same time they were very anti-surface parking lots. They really seemed to drive the point of keeping cars and people among separate areas.

Also, I'm pretty sure that opening urban shot is of Corktown looking from Downtown in the midsts of urban renewal.