Abstract

This article explores the conflicting claims on urban redevelopment in the aftermath of the 1927 St. Louis tornado. In the Finney Avenue District, a nascent middle-class African American neighborhood, residents saw the post-tornado rebuilding program as an opportunity for civic improvement through the construction of new schools and housing. This grass-roots vision, however, ran up against the objectives and machinations of efficiency-minded city planners and profit-seeking developers. A micro-analysis of the rebuilding process sheds light on the racial politics of early 20th century urban redevelopment as well as the role of natural disasters in reshaping the urban landscape.

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