The City of Asheville has released a new StoryMap explaining which City-owned properties came from Urban Renewal.
With assistance from UNC Asheville faculty, City staff researched, identified, and mapped existing City-owned properties acquired through three Urban Renewal projects in Asheville. The Urban Renewal and City-owned Property StoryMap shows which City-owned properties came from three Urban Renewal projects and provides the context for how the City came to own them. The current uses of these properties are also highlighted.
On October 27, 2020, Asheville City Council passed Resolution 20-184 that put a hold on selling any City-owned properties that came from Urban Renewal until a Reparations Commission is formed and policies are put in place. The information in these maps will help guide future planning initiatives and decision making in these areas as well as inform other policies especially related to disposition of City-owned real estate.
The StoryMap does not tell the complete story of Urban Renewal, but does give some history and background on it and other policies so that information about City property ownership can be understood in its historical context. Several research projects are underway at UNC Asheville to measure and describe the full impacts of Urban Renewal on the Black community in Asheville.
You can find the storymap by going to Asheville Reparations homepage at publicinput.com/X5652 .
Here is a direct link to the Urban Renewal and City-owned Property StoryMap.