Urban Reform in 20th Century Hartford

FAIN: FB-12238-74

Bruce M. Stave
University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT 06269-9000)

To study urban reform in 20th century Hartford--an oral history project to document the history of the New Community from its inception. To trace the roots to reform back through the 20th century, beginning with the establishment of the first city planning commission in the United States in Hartford in March, 1907, and to relate urban physical change to social reform and government structure. Efforts will be made to identify those actives in urban reform throughout the period in order to determine change and continuity in the reform process. The relationship of local to national events will be explored as will the issue of how responsive Hartford's reformers have been to community desires and needs. While no one city is the prototype for all of urban America, the history of the Hartford reform experience should provide us with an important case study of how and why our nation's city have arrived at their present state.