This was a student project by Natalie Shovlin for Kay Bea Jones's ARCH 784 course, Spring 2008. In an age where contemporary design movements, such as New Urbanism, look for a solution to urban sprawl, inner city neighborhoods provide prime real estate for residents looking to return to a metropolitan lifestyle without upsetting existing greenfield sites. Urban revitalization plans look to restore these neighborhoods, making them more appealing and safe for a wave of middle-class residents on the move. While some neighborhood revitalization plans intend to accommodate mixed-income residents, revitalization efforts can lead to gentrification and the displacement of native residents if they can no longer afford the taxes of their inflated properties. The principles of New Urbanism are a collection of good urban design strategies that have the potential to effectively influence neighborhood revitalization. Although New Urbanism projects have been heavily critiqued, I feel that these principles do address urban design issues, creating pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use, and mixed-income environments. My interest lies in the social responsibility of architecture and urban design, that when overlooked, results in gentrification disguised as neighborhood revitalization. --Natalie Shovlin
