Urban Planning During The Great Depression

In the late 19th century, American cities were characterized by ugliness and unhealthiness (Hammack Ch. 6). Rapid immigration, urbanization and industrialization was overwhelming urban areas and causing issues of congestion, overcrowding and public health (Conroy, City Beautiful). The blind individualism of industry dominated development led to hap-hazard, unrestrained, short-sighted and mechanical growth, which saw a lack of control and foresight resulting from the limited scope of planning. Around the turn of the century many factors began to encourage a sort of order of urban areas (Hammack Ch. 6). The demand for improved public health, the response of small investors to the market and the strategies of large land developers to control the

9). Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the idea of planning became a central element in the New Deal approach to recovery (Hancock Ch. 8). From 1933-40, Roosevelt enacted several programs that focused on reform via planning. The creation of a National Planning Board saw success in promoting planning and construction of major public works and in overseeing and coordinating federal, state, regional and city planning activities (Conroy, Housing & Urban Renewal). Work relief programs provided a boost to local planning capacity to engage in projects, including the construction and repair of public buildings. The Public Works Bill of 1933 created the Public Works Administration which funded major projects such as expressways, water and sewage systems, power plants, dams and other public works projects across the country (Hancock Ch.

The Home Owners Loan Corporation, the forerunner to the Federal Housing Authority, was established in 1933 and created insured, long-term, uniform payment and low interest loans (Conroy, Housing & Urban Renewal). This policy helped to reduce foreclosure rates and accelerated home ownership by providing assistance to middle income families and spurring the construction of new single-family homes (Hancock Ch. 8). However, these benefits were not extended to everyone and the systems explicitly prevented racial mixing by undervaluing older, dense and socially mixed neighborhoods (Hancock Ch.