Neighborhood Planning: Uses of Oral History

Abstract

Neighborhood planning for community improvement in America’s distressed central cities is particularly difficult because the physical environment may have daunting problems and the social environment may appear unapproachable. Oral history as a technique can help access information from those “at the margins” of society who live in distressed neighborhoods. This article analyzes the potential benefits of oral histories for neighborhood planning. It also analyzes interviews conducted with board members of two Detroit community organizations to glean lessons about the importance of residents’ personal experiences within the neighborhoods. The author suggests that collecting such historical insights could become a productive part of neighborhood planning.