Urban Renewal Policy - Essay Example

Urban Renewal Policy Urban Renewal Policy The United s government plays a critical role in policy development and implementation. The policy making process is quite tasking because it addresses two conflicting interests. On one side, the society expects the government to give lasting solution to the problems. On the contrary, the expectation is beyond the state and the local authority ability to offer effective solution to these problems. On the hand, policies developed at the national level may fail to address the interest of the local community effectively.

This paper explores the federal urban renewal program in terms its adoption, its workability, and its requirement. The urban renewal policy intended to influence urban land use, specifically areas that hosted high populations. The federal government introduced this policy towards the end of 19 century. The policy has influenced the demographic and history of various cities. Although, the urban renewal policy has profound contribution to the current history of various cities, it has failed to meet the expectation of the common person.

The political and legal justification that led to the adoption of the policy leaned on the idea behind elimination or prevention blight (Gordon, 2003). Politicians and pundits alike have argued about the existence of slum in various cities. History recorded that in 1985, local officials declared Coronado blighted (Johnstone, 1998). This declaration had implication of the federal budget because it diverted tax collection. In addition, it sought supplementary funding from the state to support local schools.

Fundamentally, the policy intended to improve the urban housing, which was unsafe. Unfortunately, the some local authorities used it to abate taxation. The spiraling numbers of people who settle in cities have been a great challenge to the authority. Largely, the local authorities have been using the growing number to declare an area as blighted. The definition of blight stems from the public activities that advance into areas allocated for the industrial properties. Further, the creation of blight extended into residential areas.

The local authority and the federal government have been observing blights as regions that breed crime because the people who settled in the slum areas had the following characteristics; persons who lost or had no connection with home life, persons whose homes lost the decency to support home life. Other than the aforementioned characteristics, substandard housing bread immorality comprises public health as well as the civic integrity. Politicians have responded to the above challenges by enacting the urban renewal policy.

The policy worked towards reforming urban governance, influencing urban planning, and zoning efforts. The municipalities had limited capacity to rehabilitate the blight conditions thereby making the home rule, which was applicable in many states ineffective. Other constraints included the protection of welfare by the police. These challenges necessitated the politicians to define methods that could influence the housing conditions. The federal government involved the local authority in policy implementation.

The passing of the National Housing Act in 1937, created provisions that enabled local public authorities in the housing sector to acquire loans for construction of low cost housing. The legislatures refined the National Housing Act in 1941 thereby enabling municipalities to seek grants from federal government. This is was credible development because the provisions in the urban redevelopment laws influenced the removal of blighted areas and construction of low-income housing facilities. In addition, the new law enabled corporations to buy blighted areas, using the federal funds and sell these lands to private developers.

The system did not last without challenges. Critics have observed that the federal law deferred the determination and definition of blighted areas thereby influencing the corporations’ activities (Mallgrave, 2005). While it is arguable that the urban renewal policy has been instrumental in eliminating or improving the urban housing conditions, it has met various challenges that tend to explain its failures. Critics have observed that between 1949 and 1974 federal government took a centre role in establishing urban development corporation (Light, 2005).

The corporations received funding from federal government. In addition, the government picked the officials who steered these corporations. In this sense, the definition of blight by local authorities influenced taxation as well abating taxes by declaring areas as blighted regions. It is argued that in the twentieth century, the federal government and the local authority understood the meaning of blight (Gordon, 2003). This led to the creation of housing development policy. The redevelopment policy have been instrumental in influencing the representation of the leaders of central business district as well as influencing the approaches that the federal government has taken towards expanding housing facilities in the urban areas.

The redevelopment policy made various considerations, which included matching the costs of the housing and the local status. In conclusion, the federal government has been instrumental in shaping urban housing. Although the government took a centre role in upgrading the urban areas, it has faced various challenges. The spiraling demands for housing facilities is the urban centers posed challenges to industrial activities as well as the residential areas. However, these challenges have influenced the government policy structuring as well as implementation.

The politicians and the local authorities had various interpretations to blighted areas thereby influencing policy implementation. References Gordon, C. (2003). Blighting the Way: Urban Renewal, Economic Development, and the Elusive Definition of Blight. Retrieved 18 June 2012 http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1884&context=ulj Mallgrave, F. H. (2005). Modern Architectural Theory: A Historical Survey, 1673-1968. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Light, S. J. (2005).

From Warfare to Welfare: Defense Intellectuals And Urban Problems in Cold War America. New York: JHU Press. Johnstone, Q. (1998). Federal Urban Renewal Program. Retrieved 18 June 2012 http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2924&context=fss_papers