Cities without redevelopment either match or actually exceed those cities that do, in terms of personal income-growth...There is no evidence to show that all the billions spent on redevelopment has done anything to improve the lives of people in those cities. There is no evidence that redevelopment is a positive factor in the elimination of blight....Redevelopment: The Unknown Government, Chapter 7, by Chris Norby
This is a report that Mayor Bloomberg of New York would rather you didn't read, not to mention Bruce Ratner in his efforts at demolishing and redeveloping downtown Brooklyn or the interesting crew in charge of "rebuilding" the World Trade Center, a task nowhere in sight.
The accompanying table is even more suggestive than Norby's words:
Per Capita Income Growth, Redevelopment vs. Non-Development Cities, Norby
If you'd like to study Norby's report, done for the state of California, the home page for the book is Redevelopment: The Unknown Goverment. The report, written in 1998, covers a lot of familiar bases, including the abuse of eminent domain.
Anyone with plans on his or her minds ought to read it. So should any citizen who's thinking of voting for the Planning Party.
Luther
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