Social and economic effects of urban renewal in Kansas City, MO : Census tracts 24 and 33

Abstract

In an effort to revitalize urban cores, and to maintain competition with rapidly rising suburbs, the federal government equipped cities with new tools in the mid-20th century. But the federal government’s redevelopment plans focused primarily on highway development and land clearance and this focus has led to a breakdown of urban districts with vibrant, active neighborhoods and gave rise to concentrated and cyclical poverty, and a concomitant rise in business flight from urban centers. This paper focuses on the outcome of urban renewal projects in Kansas City’s census tracts 24 and 33.