The assignment is a neighborhood history (Port Area (Area IV), Cambridge MA (USA)) – present this history in a paper (10 pp double spaced). The history must trace the neighborhood from its initial creation to today, describing how social, demographic, political/policy, and economic forces have resulted in its current form and population. You should pay attention to who has been able to make a home in the neighborhood over time as well as who has not. Be sure to cover the following:
Settlement – mid-20th Who first owned the land here? Who began to build housing on the land? If the builders were also the occupants, why did they choose this place? If “developers” were involved, who were they trying to attract to their homes? What role did local policies (zoning, building codes) and early state and federal policies (housing, but also immigration, policing, education, etc.) play in the early shaping of the neighborhood? Were there other major turning points in the history of this place—the addition of an institution of some kind, the construction of an important new piece of infrastructure, a natural disaster such as a fire or flood, or the emergence of a new industry or employer that attracted a new wave of residents? Did the population change over this early history or was it fairly constant?
Post WWII to 2000. The post-war era involved major public intervention in and around our cities – the interstate highway system, urban renewal, the second wave of public housing, anti-poverty programs and new housing subsidy programs. As the century progressed, major social movements shaped cities and regions as well. In what ways was your neighborhood impacted by these initiatives and movements? By suburbanization? How did private for-profit and non-profit organizations respond? Did federal, state, municipal, or nonprofit programs result in change in the built form or population of the neighborhood?
