Urban Renewal

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

A program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Urban renewal may involve clearing blighted buildings, constructing new infrastructure, and attracting investment to revitalize deteriorated city districts, though critics note it has historically displaced low-income communities.

Examples

• The city's urban renewal project demolished the old warehouses and replaced them with mixed-use housing.
• Scholars debate whether urban renewal helped cities or simply relocated poverty.

Synonyms: urban redevelopment, urban regeneration