The role of sustainable architecture in revitalizing urban areas: balancing preservation and innovation

This paper explores the urban renewal movement of the mid-20th century, focusing on the problematic approach of large-scale demolition and redevelopment in major urban centers. Driven by the belief that urban decay could be solved through the eradication of "blight," planners aimed to modernize cities by replacing mixed-use, pre-zoning neighborhoods with rationally planned, segregated urban zones. The study investigates urban renewal’s reliance on eminent domain and the consequences of displacing hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses. Using historical analysis, the paper examines the underlying thesis: urban renewal's focus on physical infrastructure, rather than social cohesion, led to significant humanitarian and economic failures. Key arguments are drawn from case studies and critiques, including Jane Jacobs’ condemnation of urban renewal's destructive impact on social capital and community networks. The analysis reveals that while planners envisioned modern cities free from "blight," the projects often failed to attract investment, worsened housing crises, and left cities with vacant lands and fragmented communities. The paper concludes that urban renewal’s neglect of social dimensions undermined its effectiveness, and that modern redevelopment efforts increasingly recognize the need to preserve and reintegrate the community fabric that earlier bulldozers destroyed. This shift towards a more human-centered urban planning approach is essential to avoid repeating past mistakes and to foster sustainable urban revitalization in the future.