URBAN RENEWAL IN HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

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URBAN RENEWAL IN HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

• Reform and Redevelopment under Mayor Stephen
  Reed 1982-2005

Michael Gaetani History 481 The Major
Seminar Professor Robert Griffith April 2,
2005 College of Arts and Sciences Research
Conference
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Urban Decline in America

• Great Depression
• Factories Closed
• Housing Becomes Run-down
• After World War II
• Automobile industry booms superhighways are
  constructed
• Suburban sprawl more affluent people move away
  from the city seeking more land, new houses,
  shopping malls, etc. Facilitated by the
  construction of superhighways.

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Early Urban Renewal Efforts

• Government redevelopment projects entire blocks
  of older houses and buildings are leveled to make
  way for new office structures (Ex Southeast DC)
• Superhighways are constructed through old
  neighborhoods, tens of thousands of people across
  America are displaced.
• Large, self-contained office buildings take away
  from the urban atmosphere people from suburbs
  come in to work, never leave office building,
  then drive home gt downtown dies.

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Later Renewal Efforts

• Alexandria, Virginia
• Used waterfront as an attraction for development
• Historic housing opportunities made city an
  alternative to Georgetown for upscale development
• City created a viable daytime commercial market
  in the central business district by restoring
  historic Market Square and constructing new
  mixed-used commercial/retail structures that
  provided office space as well as small shops and
  restaurants to cater to daytime workers.
• Housing continued to be in demand as people
  wanted to live close to downtown jobs waterfront
  property became attractive for aesthetic reasons,
  city has taken advantage by constructing
  residential units there

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Later Renewal Efforts

• Baltimore, Maryland
• Concentrated on Inner Harbor redevelopment
• Hyatt Hotel was key factor drew people downtown
  and created a market for retail
• Aquarium, Historic Ships drew in tourists
• People and money flowing into Inner Harbor has
  expanded into nearby downtown areas

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Later Renewal Efforts

• Common traits
• Initiative to renew came from many areas rather
  than one person
• It was targeted at commercial and tourist
  interests
• It was localized, at least initially, to a small
  portion of the downtown

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HARRISBURG A CASE STUDY

• Urban decline in Harrisburg
• Constant population loss since the 1950s (90,000
  ? 50,000) tax base gone
• Abandoned housing 85 vacant or transient
  rental units by 1980
• City mismanagement ? funds shut off by federal
  and state government on verge of bankruptcy
• No retail downtown historic center (Market
  Square) filled with XXX theaters, bars, strip
  clubs
• Harrisburg was 2nd most distressed city in nation
  according to HUD criteria
• High crime, fire, and vacant property rates in PA

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REEDS FIRST MOVES

• Restore Citys Finanaces
• Reform Police and Fire Protection
• Offer Housing programs, homeowner incentives, and
  tax credits to keep residents in town and draw in
  others.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed
Riverfront Park and Downtown
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Tourism

• City Island waterfront redevelopment
• Museums National Civil War Museum, National
  Firefighters Museum More museums planned
• other Whitaker Center, Historic Homes

City Island and Waterfront
National Civil War Museum
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Commercial Redevelopment

• Tax Incentives to attract businesses to downtown
  rather than suburbs
• Harrisburg Hilton and Towers
• Banking, insurance, finance center
• Renewed vitality of street life restaurant row,
  nightlife

Harrisburgs Market Square
Harrisburg Skyline
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Education Reform

• School Empowerment Act Reed takes control of
  district in 2001 improvements in graduation
  rates and college attendees
• New programs including Pre-K and Science
  Technology Prep High School
• Plans for Harrisburg University of Science and
  Technology downtown Harrisburgs first
  four-year resident university

State Senator Jeffrey Piccola, representing
Dauphin County and the City of Harrisburg, was
the chief sponsor of the School Empowerment Act.
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State Aid and Future Plans

• State Aid Programs
• Museums planned
• Mayors philosophy Harrisburg needs to be the
  regional center for tourism, culture, finance,
  commerce, etc. or it will not survive.

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Conclusions

• Harrisburg differs from other cities in that it
  was very comprehensive and directed primarily by
  one man
• Renewal aimed at a broad range of issues requires
  a reorganization of governmental priorities
• Tourism and heritage are key factors
• The private sector responds better to incentives
  than it does to heavy-handed government leadership