40 Years Later, A Neighborhood's Comeback

The U street corridor in Washington D.C. was a flash point during the 1968 riots. Four decades later, the neighborhood is finally recovering from the aftermath.

1 minute read

April 8, 2008, 12:00 PM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"The 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sparked rioting across many American cities. In Washington, D.C., the chaos began on the corner of 14th and U streets, as people smashed store windows and began looting and setting buildings on fire."

"After calm was restored, residents thought the government would rebuild the city, much as it did Europe after World War II. Forty years later, the community that was the riots' flashpoint is slowly beginning to come back.

"Even looking at the way things were, [there] was a belief on the parts of most of the people in the community that the Congress and the president would not allow Washington, D.C., to remain in tatters.

"We know what happened with the Marshall Plan ... , so we saw this from Dresden and we know what they did. They came back and they rebuilt it."

Residents thought, "this was the nation's capital and they would rebuild this quickly," Mayes says. "Little did we know it would take so many years for that to happen."

But in recent years this neighborhood has gradually come back."

Monday, April 7, 2008 in National Public Radio

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight