The Long-Run Consequences of Urban Renewal in the United States

Established by the Housing Act of 1949, the urban renewal program authorized the use of eminent domain to acquire and clear areas deemed “blighted.” Between 1949 and 1973, the federal government approved over 2,500 urban renewal projects in almost 1,200 cities in all 50 states. Estimates vary, but by 1971, approximately 500,000 households with 1.4 million individuals were displaced by the program, with African American neighborhoods disproportionately affected. Little is known about the long-run impacts of these interventions on those affected. Economist Winnie van Djik and her colleagues will use a combination of unique datasets to provide evidence on how the urban renewal program shaped residents’ long-run outcomes. The project will enhance our understanding of how past policies may have influenced current patterns of racial, economic, and spatial inequality. The investigators will address three key research questions. First, how did 1950s urban renewal projects affect the long-term residential location of people living in urban renewal areas? Second, did 1950s urban renewal projects affect the longevity (mortality) of people living in urban renewal areas? And finally, did the 1950s urban renewal projects have spillover effects on the long-term residential location and mortality of people living just outside of urban renewal areas?