Sep 28 2014
By the end of the 1960s, most of the changes and revitalization that occurred in downtowns across the United States had been undone. The tumultuous decade caused a lot of damage in cities, not only to their buildings and infrastructure, but to their reputations. The civil rights movement in particular, while necessary in bringing about change for people who had been oppressed for far too long, had a huge effect on cities. The booming media industry showed horrified audiences photographs and footage of violent protests, demonstrations, and riots, causing women – the primary shoppers that downtown shopping districts hoped to attract – to feel unsafe walking through cities. As a result, urban planners spent the 1970s and 80s developing suburban shopping centers that attracted and catered to affluent white families.
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