Burns-Jackson Community Redevelopment, Dayton, Ohio, Perspective Sketch

In 1966 Goldberg created a comprehensive redevelopment scheme for the Burns-Jackson neighborhood, a historic but economically depressed area of Dayton, Ohio. Concerns about the physical deterioration of the neighborhood and the social isolation of this predominantly poor African American community led a local group to hire Goldberg to develop a plan for redevelopment and reintegration. Although this project was Goldberg’s first direct work with historic preservation, his experience with urban planning led to comprehensive physical and cultural goals for the Burns-Jackson neighborhood. The master plan included the sensitive renovation of many existing houses and the surrounding landscape, as well as the creation of new buildings for a variety of community services and business and high-rise apartment towers to provide the necessary density to support these facilities in the future. The city rejected Goldberg’s plan, and although many historic buildings in Burns-Jackson were restored, without his requirements of diversity and increased density, the neighborhood’s gentrification forced out many original residents.