Description
Specialty: Urban Design
Client: EPA Gary PBCD
Gary, Indiana, once one of America’s key industrial centers, entered a downward spiral of decline in the 1960s. Gary’s decline was brought on by the growing competitiveness in the steel industry, which had caused U.S. Steel to layoff many workers. This drastic paradigm shift in American industry left Gary reminiscing about times past and searching for new urban design strategies that will allow this city take advantage of key assets including; its proximity to Chicago’s growing metropolis; its location along Lake Michigan, and its access to rail and air. Recognizing these potential opportunities, Sanford Garner, expert in Smart Growth ideologies, was charged with answering a pressing question, “How can Gary Indiana become the City of the Century?” The conclusions from his team’s investigation and the supporting whitepaper will become the template for Gary’s redevelopment and the catalyst for a strategy to redevelop declining cities throughout the United States.