Clearance of Oak Street, New Haven

Title supplied by cataloger. One of a collection of photographs taken by the New Haven Redevelopment Agency to document a massive urban planning and development project undertaken from 1956 through the mid-1970s. The federally-financed redevelopment initiative was realized through a series of projects focused on particular New Haven city neighborhoods identified by street or area names. These projects involved the demolition of old structures and construction of new buildings, roadways and other facilities. The Oak Street area had been an ethnic enclave of residences and businesses; urban planners cited the decrepit condition of many of the buildings as a reason for targeting it for renewal. The neighborhood disappeared entirely as a result of redevelopment, replaced by an expressway (Oak Street Connector), commercial buildings and parking.