Deciding Who Belongs: Race, Class, and Urban Renewal
in Mid-Twentieth Century East Liberty, Pittsburgh
Abstract:
Urban renewal efforts in the 1960s were often framed as necessary steps toward modernization and economic revitalization. However, these efforts frequently prioritized the interests of wealthier, predominantly white populations. This project examines East Liberty, a historically vibrant neighborhood in Pittsburgh, to show that urban planners’ focus on modernization through large-scale clearance, the construction of high-rises, a pedestrian mall, and confusing traffic reconfigurations displaced Black and low-income residents and disrupted existing social and economic networks. Drawing on historical accounts, planning documents, and scholarly research, this study demonstrates how these policies disrupted local economies, displaced residents, and weakened longstanding social networks. Rather than achieving equitable growth, urban renewal initiatives in East Liberty contributed to economic decline and social fragmentation. By situating East Liberty within broader patterns of urban redevelopment in the United States, this project highlights the lasting consequences of planning decisions that failed to account for the needs of marginalized communities.