Rethinking Government Participation in Urban Renewal: Neighborhood Revitalization in New Haven

During the bleak winter of 1993, residents of New Haven twice heard the often-rung death knell of their struggling downtown as two long-time denizens separately announced their departures from the area. The New Haven Senators, the most recent incarnation of the city's minor league professional hockey franchise, announced in February that they would be leaving the city. A few weeks later, Macy's-the last department store in downtown New Haven- announced it would be closing its doors permanently the following June. Although local commentators disagreed about whom to blame for the departure of these two mainstays, most agreed on one thing: New Haven's city government could have done more to prevent the losses.