Urban development has shaped the growth and transformation of cities, often prioritizing modernization and economic development over the stability of preexisting communities. During the mid-twentieth century, urban renewal policies encouraged large-scale redevelopment that performed the clearance of neighborhoods identified as "slum" or "blighted," displacing millions of Americans. These policies enabled cities to undertake destructive redevelopment, contributing to the period known academically as the "era of the federal bulldozer."
This thesis asks: how can urban development uplift existing residents rather than overlook them? To explore this, I examine access to affordable housing in Schenectady, New York, a deindustrialized city that experienced significant economic and population decline after the withdrawal of industrial giants, General Electric and American Locomotive Company. The loss of the city's primary industry led to urban decay and disinvestment that primarily affected residents.
This thesis connects the history of urban renewal to the case study of Schenectady through ethnographic research conducted during an internship with the Capital Region Land Bank. The land bank functions through a process that converts vacant or underutilized properties into vibrant use. Working in the affordable housing sector connected me with developers, city officials, and affordable housing organizations. My research served as the primary resource for understanding the housing landscape in Schenectady.
I identified two main challenges within Schenectady's housing market: housing instability among the city's most vulnerable residents and the rising unaffordability of homeownership. At the land bank, these issues are approached through a homeownership pipeline model that aims to transition renters into homeowners. The organization plans to expand homeownership opportunities through the Move-in NY program administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Move-in NY is an affordable homeownership program that facilitates the placement of manufactured homes on vacant municipal land across New York. While the land bank is still in the early stages of applying to Move-in NY, it presents a nuanced solution to bridge the gap between housing instability and the inaccessibility of homeownership.