Fences Make Bad Neighbors in Hamden, Connecticut

The ugly story of the fence between a public housing community called New Haven and the nearby "middle class" community of Hamden, Connecticut will soon be over, but not because Hamden suddenly gained enlightenment.

2 minute read

July 13, 2014, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"[Dillard Bennett's] family moved to New Haven from Georgia in 1959, seeking an escape from segregated buses and racial violence. Instead, they found what Mr. Bennett, who is black, called a signal that 'hatred for black folks' endures: 1,500 feet of thickly woven metal, enclosing a cluster of public housing projects on three sides," reports Benjamin Mueller.

Beyond it's literal presence, the fence also has a strong symbolic effect as a border between two worlds. "Built by Hamden in the 1950s to keep crime out of an aspiring middle-class neighborhood, the fence choked off access to jobs for public housing residents and obstructed emergency responders. Anger festered in the projects, and unemployment rates surpassed 75 percent. By 1990, New Haven’s violent crime rate nearly tripled the national average. Rocks sometimes flew over the fence, once battering a Hamden school bus."

But that's about to change, because recently "excavators began tearing down parts of the fence to make way for three roads that will eventually connect the public housing projects to Hamden — the first breach in this border in half a century. The first road is expected to poke through by September."

Unfortunately, the fence is not coming down out of the goodness of Hamden hearts. Rather, the Department of Housing and Urban Development discovered, after an investigation onto discriminatory housing practices, that the fence is actually on New Haven property, which is allowing the fence to come down despite the passionate protests of Hamden's residents.

Friday, July 11, 2014 in New York Times

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.