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6 ""*<_. pi O : anning otes Number 8 For Greenxburgheftx Deportment of Planning, City of Greensboro, North Carolina 15 April i960 GRIENS80R0 PUSUC L\mAU\ URBAN RENEWAL IS PEOPLE As our society becomes more complex, it also becomes more and more impersonal. Within most of our life times, we have seen our neighborhoods change from personal, closely knit units into an impersonal, heterogeneous, clustering of families with an apparent limited concern for being our "brother's keeper." Perhaps the spread of blight within cities can be attributed to this lack of concern about our fellowmen. We show little interest in how the fellow in the next block lives, and simply do not care about the living conditions of the people in the other end of town. During the past few years much has been said about urban renewal and its major objective of improving the environment in which we live. However, because of the impersonal attitudes prevalent in our society, many people consider urban renewal to be maps, ordinances, money, or Federal Government. These things are important, but it is necessary to re-orient our thinking to consider urban renewal as being people. Cities cannot be impersonal things; they are living and dynamic organisms composed of thousands of people. Whenever a major building is built, ceremonies are held to lay a cornerstone; this stone being the symbol of the entire structure. Without the cornerstone, the building is considered to be incomplete. The cornerstone of urban renewal is people, and unless the plans and ideals are effectively translated to the individual, urban renewal programs will fail. If we examine some of the problems that all major cities face in translating urban renewal into personal terms, we who are interested in the future of cities realize that our first task is in convincing the great majority of the population that cities are here to stay. It is the dream of practically every American family to have a home in the country on a commodious lot with a babbling brook meandering across the property. For most American families, however, this dream will never become a reality. The rapidly increasing population is going to place greater pressures upon both the central cities and suburban areas; therefore, within the next decade there will be little opportunity to obtain country living. Instead of the home in the country, the great majority of the people will continue to live in the cities. Instead of the large tracts of ground, we will have to be satisfied with relatively small lots. Instead of the babbling brook facing our house, we will probably face a steady stream of traffic. Somehow it must be transmitted to each citizen that cities are economic necessities, that people will continue to live in them, and that only the citizens have power to make them either drab or beautiful. The growth of cities can be compared with the growth of our nation. During the period of westward expansion, which has only recently slipped into the pages of history, acres and acres of forest were cleared by burning. The soil was farmed until it was worn-out, then abandoned as the settlers moved westward. Finally with no place to go, scientific soil conservation measures were inagurated to insure the productivity of land. During the past twenty years many people have felt the came way about housing as did the early settlers about tillable soil; property owners were willing to abandon their city homes in favor of new homes in surburban developments. Their former homes were converted into rental units, and generally were neglected and improperly maintained. We now realize that cities, like the tillable soil, must be conserved. We must go back and replenish our existing housing supply.
Object Description
Title | Planning notes [Number 8, 15 April 1960] |
Date | 1960-04-15 |
Creator (group/organization) | Department of Planning, Greensboro, North Carolina |
Subject headings | Land use -- North Carolina -- Greensboro;Greensboro (N.C.) -- History -- 20th century; Greensboro (N.C.) -- City planning; Greensboro (N.C.). -- Planning Department; Housing development -- North Carolina -- Greensboro -- History; Urban renewal -- North Carolina; |
Topics | Planning; Cumberland; Warnersville; Housing; Neighborhoods; Urban renewal |
Place | Greensboro (N.C.) |
Description | Report from the Greensboro Department of Planning highlighted by an article titled " Urban Renewal is People" which is actually a speech previously given by Robert E. Barkley. It dicusses various aspects of urban renewal and concludes with the essential elements of city revitalization. There is also a short redevelopment progress report of Cumberland and the rights of the Redevelopment Commission being contested. There is also statistical data on Cumberland and Warnersville. () |
Type | Text |
Original format | newsletters |
Original publisher | Greensboro, N.C. : Department of Planning |
Language | en |
Contributing institution | Greensboro Public Library |
Source collection | North Carolina Collection (Greensboro Public Library) |
Folder | Community Development (1) |
Rights statement | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/ |
Additional rights information | NO KNOWN COPYRIGHT. This item is believed to be in the public domain but its copyright status has not been determined conclusively. |
Object ID | GPL_GVF.038.006 |
Date digitized | 2014 |
Digital access format | Image/jpeg |
Digital publisher | The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries, PO Box 26170, Greensboro NC 27402-6170, 336.334.5304 -- http://library.uncg.edu/ |
OCLC number | 900768542 |
Page/Item Description
Title | Page 001 |
Full text | 6 ""*<_. pi O : anning otes Number 8 For Greenxburgheftx Deportment of Planning, City of Greensboro, North Carolina 15 April i960 GRIENS80R0 PUSUC L\mAU\ URBAN RENEWAL IS PEOPLE As our society becomes more complex, it also becomes more and more impersonal. Within most of our life times, we have seen our neighborhoods change from personal, closely knit units into an impersonal, heterogeneous, clustering of families with an apparent limited concern for being our "brother's keeper." Perhaps the spread of blight within cities can be attributed to this lack of concern about our fellowmen. We show little interest in how the fellow in the next block lives, and simply do not care about the living conditions of the people in the other end of town. During the past few years much has been said about urban renewal and its major objective of improving the environment in which we live. However, because of the impersonal attitudes prevalent in our society, many people consider urban renewal to be maps, ordinances, money, or Federal Government. These things are important, but it is necessary to re-orient our thinking to consider urban renewal as being people. Cities cannot be impersonal things; they are living and dynamic organisms composed of thousands of people. Whenever a major building is built, ceremonies are held to lay a cornerstone; this stone being the symbol of the entire structure. Without the cornerstone, the building is considered to be incomplete. The cornerstone of urban renewal is people, and unless the plans and ideals are effectively translated to the individual, urban renewal programs will fail. If we examine some of the problems that all major cities face in translating urban renewal into personal terms, we who are interested in the future of cities realize that our first task is in convincing the great majority of the population that cities are here to stay. It is the dream of practically every American family to have a home in the country on a commodious lot with a babbling brook meandering across the property. For most American families, however, this dream will never become a reality. The rapidly increasing population is going to place greater pressures upon both the central cities and suburban areas; therefore, within the next decade there will be little opportunity to obtain country living. Instead of the home in the country, the great majority of the people will continue to live in the cities. Instead of the large tracts of ground, we will have to be satisfied with relatively small lots. Instead of the babbling brook facing our house, we will probably face a steady stream of traffic. Somehow it must be transmitted to each citizen that cities are economic necessities, that people will continue to live in them, and that only the citizens have power to make them either drab or beautiful. The growth of cities can be compared with the growth of our nation. During the period of westward expansion, which has only recently slipped into the pages of history, acres and acres of forest were cleared by burning. The soil was farmed until it was worn-out, then abandoned as the settlers moved westward. Finally with no place to go, scientific soil conservation measures were inagurated to insure the productivity of land. During the past twenty years many people have felt the came way about housing as did the early settlers about tillable soil; property owners were willing to abandon their city homes in favor of new homes in surburban developments. Their former homes were converted into rental units, and generally were neglected and improperly maintained. We now realize that cities, like the tillable soil, must be conserved. We must go back and replenish our existing housing supply. |