A Time of Readjustment: Urban Renewal in Poughkeepsie, 1955-75 Harvey K. Flad
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dmund Platt concluded his History of Poughkeepsie by noting the "slow but fairly steady progress to the present time" [1905] that had characterized the city's development, although there had been periods of decline as well as growth.1 In this paper I shall examine the period from 1955-1975, when the city was in decline, much like other older industrial cities in the United States. It was a period during which significant steps were taken to reverse this decline, primarily under the guise and with the federal funding of "urban renewal." These activities changed the physical face of the city, to create a city quite different from the one that Platt knew at the turn of the century, yet in some ways similar as well. This paper will examine these two decades of great demographic and economic change by focusing on land use.2
The City: Post World War II From its incorporation as a city in 1845 until 1950 Poughkeepsie had experienced slow but steady growth, and it had established itself as the leading city in the Mid-Hudson region. By 1950 population growth had peaked at 41,000, having been nearly at that level for the previous two decades.3 Most of the land area within the city's boundaries had been developed, and the decision not to expand the boundaries of the city beyond the annexation of the eighth ward in 1928 meant that new development had to take place in the town rather than the city.4 Indeed, the city began to decline in population over the next decade, while the town of Poughkeepsie, as well as other nearby areas, began to grow at an increased rate. For example, from 1940 to 1950 the town's population grew by 37.9%, while the city's only increased by 1.3%, and between 1950 and 1960 the city actually declined by — 6.6% while the town increased by 61%.5 (See Fig. 1) These trends continued: between 1960 and 1970 the town grew by 27.7% to 41,000, and surpassed the city, which had declined by — 16.4% to 32,000. The development of the surrounding area was a result of a number of factors. The availability of land meant that new industries and housing were built outside the city. As jobs migrated from the city to its periphery, so too, did many workers. Many of these jobs were associated with the establishment of International Business Machines (IBM) in Dutchess County in the early 1940s. Housing Harvey K. Flad is Associate Professor of Geography at Vassar College. He has previously published articles and monographs on planning for the visual environment and historical landscape of the Hudson Valley. He is a member of the City of Poughkeepsie Waterfront Advisory Committee. 152
