City's redevelopment recalls Lee
DeStefano's renewal plans confront legacy of late mayor -- and face similar pitfalls
Many of the most puzzling parts of New Haven -- the patternless one-ways streets, the never-finished Highway 34 West and the eternally vacant Coliseum, are products of an era that began 50 years ago, when building and bulldozing en masse was the norm. Under Mayor Richard C. Lee, New Haven led the nation in its efforts at urban renewal.
Serving eight consecutive terms as mayor from 1953 to 1970, Lee came to power at a time when the restoration of urbanism -- the idea of making cities desirable to live in -- was at the forefront of the federal government's agenda. During his reign,...
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