I thought I recognized the name Mindy Fullilove who was quoted in the article John mentioned earlier.
The relevant passage:
At the same conference, Mindy Fullilove, professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, said true urbanism is characterized by a sense of connectedness that allows people of diverse backgrounds and incomes to nonetheless feel that they live in the same community and share an identity with the same “great place.”
At a time of rapid upheaval in the world, Fullilove said, people yearn for the kind of stability and belonging that existed?before urban renewal cut through it?in the Hill district of Pittsburgh where her parents grew up. It was a relatively poor, predominantly African-American community of row houses, storefronts and apartments. (Emphasis added)
Dr. Fullilove is the author of the Institute for Justice’s report on urban renewal laws and their devastating impact on African Americans. These laws, through the abuse of eminent domain, forced people out of the cities in order to create “nicer” urban centers. BTW: This is still happening.
Who was responsible for urban renewal projects that displaced a million people from 1949-1973, all in the name of creating their “urban” vision? The planners!
Dr. Fullilove appears to be opposed to forcing people out of communities (which is nice of her) but not opposed to still dictating to others what urban communities should be like. I guess you can own your property, but you can only use it in a manner consistent with Dr. Fullilove’s “true” urban vision.
With the planners, the ends have and still do justify the means. If more than 650,000 African-Americans have to be displaced for the “greater good” (as defined by the planners), so be it.
