Model Cities Program

E28471

The Model Cities Program was a U.S. federal urban aid initiative of the late 1960s that sought to combat poverty and revitalize distressed city neighborhoods through comprehensive, community-focused planning and development.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal program
anti-poverty program
urban aid program
aims combat urban poverty
coordinate federal urban programs
encourage citizen participation in planning
promote comprehensive planning
revitalize distressed city neighborhoods
appliesToDemographic low-income urban residents
racial and ethnic minority communities
appliesToJurisdiction United States
country United States
criticizedFor bureaucratic complexity
insufficient funding
political conflicts at local level
endTime early 1970s
fieldOfWork housing policy
social policy
urban policy
focusesOn distressed urban neighborhoods
inner-city areas
followedBy Community Development Block Grant program
follows Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966
hasCharacteristic community-focused
comprehensive planning
coordination of multiple federal funding streams
emphasis on citizen participation
multi-year planning grants
targeted to specific neighborhoods
implementedBy United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
inception 1966
legacy influenced later community development policy
promoted idea of citizen participation in urban planning
legalBasis Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966
legislatedBy United States Congress
mainSubject community development
housing
poverty reduction
urban planning
urban renewal
numberOfParticipatingCities approximately 150
parentOrganization United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
partOf Great Society
War on Poverty
replaced traditional urban renewal approaches in some cities
sponsor Lyndon B. Johnson administration
startTime 1966
timePeriod early 1970s
late 1960s


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