If this occurs, with the extant immigrant demographics, Newark will have pieces in place to experience full-fledged renewal not unlike what has transpired in those leading cities. Costs

That said, there are costs associated with such renewal. In the 1960s, Newark experienced race riots as the result of urban renewal efforts. A demographic shift and the creation of knowledge industries can precipitate similar conflict today, given that the city still has an African-American majority and much of this majority remains in poverty. The lack of economic mobility among this community is not explicitly addressed in Newark's urban renewal plans. Ramos-Zaya (2009) argues in a study of Hispanic youth in Newark that neoliberal renewal policies result in shifting sense of identity among such youth. Other studies such as Newman & Ashton (2003) have showed that the impacts of neoliberal land use policies geared towards regeneration often fail to deliver benefits to the old-established residents of the neighborhoods in question, and as a result are more a form of gentrification than renewal. Such an outcome would be expected under Newark's current strategy, given the city's demographics and the expected beneficiaries of its neoliberal renewal policies.

Conclusions

After years of government inaction and inefficient spending on social programs, Newark has in recent years embarked on an aggressive strategy of urban renewal. This strategy has focused on infrastructure investments (everything from sewers to arenas) and tax cuts to attract investment and the development of new industries. The result is that Newark is showing signs of economic renewal, in particular in its ability to attract middle class professionals back to the city. Over time, this trend will create a more dynamic Newark with a diverse economic base and a vibrant demographic. However, the impacts of these changes on the existing residents, most of whom are poor minorities, are largely going to be negative. They have neither the education nor training to take advantage of the new jobs and industries, and may find themselves priced...

Newark appears headed for economic renewal, but social renewal may be stifled by rising tensions between the existing citizens and the new citizens that Newark intends to attract. These citizens, already facing lower social spending as the city shifts its funding priorities to infrastructure projects, may be compartmentalized into smaller pockets of the city or forced outside of Newark altogether, resulting in civic disharmony that the city will need to manage in order to continue to experience economic regeneration.
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