The data is visualized as interactive maps and cartograms on the Renewal Project website.
The project data revolves around urban renewal data in the US from 1950 and 1966. These visuals display cities across the U.S. where urban renewal policies were implemented, showing:
- Effects on housing, such as demolitions or the construction of new developments.
- Economic impacts, including changes in neighborhood income levels or business density.
- Areas that underwent significant changes due to policy interventions.
The Renewing Inequality project draws from a variety of historical data sources, including federal, state, and municipal reports related to housing, demographics, and urban renewal projects. This data mainly focuses on housing and economic information, specifically highlighting neighborhoods impacted by displacement due to urban renewal policies. The data format includes both quantitative metrics (such as population statistics by race and socio-economic status) and geographical information, enabling detailed, location-based analysis.
The output is a digital, interactive map designed to tell the story of displacement by visualizing affected neighborhoods and displaying demographic changes by race and type of urban area. This digital storytelling method allows users to see how urban renewal policies disproportionately impacted communities of minorities across different U.S. cities, providing insights into the lasting social and economic effects of these policies.
The Digital Scholarship Lab curates and compiles this data to create a comprehensive view of Urban Renewal’s impact.
Specific sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, city planning departments, and housing authority records.
The information portrayed above is downloadable and usable.
Digital Scholarship Lab, “Renewing Inequality,” American Panorama
, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, accessed November 6, 2024, https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/renewal/#view=-684.03/-79/1.62&viz=cartogram&city=philadelphiaPA&loc=13/39.9508/-75.1675.