President Harry S. Truman signed the American Housing Act of 1949 

Southdale, the first suburban shopping mall in the U.S. opened in Edina, Minnesota,  

Population of city of Lockport increased by 8% from 1940 to 1960 while the town of Lockport population increased by 52% in the same period 

Following World War II, the # of autos in U.S. rose from 1946 (28,217) to 1960 (61,6829) allowing people to move and shop away from the city

President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act authorizing $25 billion to construct 41,000 mi. of Interstate Hwys in 10 yrs.

Jane Jacobs of Greenwich Village in New York City, led protests of plans to raze the neighborhood for apartment buildings & an Expressway  

The Housing Act of 1954 expanded the slum clearance & redevelopment program with assistance for rehabilitation & conservation of housing

By studying the timeline, what national events and/or societal shifts in the post-WWII era may have influenced the urban renewal movement in US cities? Using the inverted pyramid model of listing most important to least important, place the national events in order of significance. Separately, explain how events in Lockport NY paralleled those happening nationally?

Urban Renewal in the United States had it roots in the industrialization boom and the migration of disenfranchised populations from the South to the cities of the North in post-World War II America. Affordable automobiles, the Interstate Highway Act of 1956, and the growth of shopping plazas/malls, adversely affected local stores in large cities. These circumstances were paralleled in Lockport NY and other cities in the federal push for Urban Renewal beginning in the 1950s. 



In the early 1960s, Main Street in Lockport was a vibrant place with cars and shoppers and stores stores still located in mostly 19th century buildings.

Main Street, Lockport, c1960

In 1952, Lockport, NY-based Harrison Radiator Division of General Motors Corporation began to gradually move the bulk of their operations out of its Lockport city plant to its new facility in the town of Lockport drawing thousands of employees out of downtown Lockport, resulting in a loss of revenue for city businesses over the next 20 years. 

Following World War II, the # of autos in U.S. rose from 1946 (28,217) to 1960 (61,6829) allowing people to move and shop away from the city.



The Harrison Radiator Division of General Motors Corporation in Lockport NY

The Lockport NY Comprehensive Plan was developed by Victor Gruen and Associates and was released by the Lockport Urban Renewal Agency.

Lockport NY Comprehensive Plan

The first Home-O-Rama in Lockport advertised modern home improvements and provided a platform for retailers to inform residents about new technological advances. It was one of the first places that the residents of Lockport learned of the plans the Urban Renewal Agency had for their city.

Lockport Home-O-Rama

By 1949, some of the housing stock in Lockport, particularly in an area called Lowertown, was well over 100 years old with deteriorating conditions. These areas would be directly impacted by the American Housing Act of 1949 and ultimately by Urban Renewal.

Standards for Urban Renewal in Lockport, NY, Part 1: Setting the Stage, 1949 - 1961

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework