As Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who represents the 3rd district of Connecticut, was quoted in the Construction Equipment Guide, “Every single resident deserves to have access to vibrant public spaces. Ultimately, this is a project that restores physical and cultural bonds.”
Since the 1960s, Interstate 91 (I-91) has helped people get to their destinations quicker and easier. However, in its quest for convenience, it has physically divided the city of New Haven for decades. This physical division also resulted in cultural division, leaving many communities feeling disconnected from each other, despite being from the same neighborhood geographically.
During the 1950s and through the 1960s, many highways were built in the U.S., including I-91 across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. To do this, hundreds of people were ordered through eminent domain to leave their homes and established lives so they could make room for the interstate.
This attempt at “urban renewal” was not new for many people, as a similar situation happened before called “the cut”. During “the cut”, rail lines were created that affected people’s ability to safely travel between places they had previously been able to. This unsafe condition was exacerbated by the creation of I-91 and has led to economic inequality within the divided neighborhoods.
Late in 2024, the City of New Haven submitted an application to receive a $2 million planning grant to help reconnect communities from the U.S. Department of Transportation. They were awarded the grant last month. The city plans to use studies and community engagement to find efficient and effective ways to reconnect affected communities, including Wooster Square, Long Wharf, State Street, Union Station, Fair Haven, East Rock, the Mill River District and the Willow and Trumbull Street exits of I-91. In the city’s grant application, they said that the grant would help people connect with “jobs, healthcare, education and places of worship through comprehensive, engaged planning.”
Anthony Calabro, a Practitioner in Residence of Economics and Business Analytics at the University of New Haven, explained the effects of this incentive from an economic perspective.
“Based on three studies I know of, this initiative shows that reconnecting neighborhoods split by highways helps local businesses grow, raises home values and improves everyday life for residents. This isn’t just about fixing or adding roads, it’s about bringing communities back together, creating jobs and making sure everyone has better opportunities to thrive going forward,” said Calabro.
The project can be broken down into three main categories: Integrative Design, Reconnection and Safety and Opportunity, Housing and Zoning. Integrative design aims to integrate parts of I-91 into the area surrounding it, making underutilized parts of the highway into mixed-use areas for the surrounding community with improved access for bicycles and pedestrians.
Reconnection and Safety aims to reroute traffic and reclaim land to improve safety, reduce the physical divide created by the interstate and enhance climate resilience. Opportunity, housing and zoning aims to update zoning, housing and market analysis on properties to help explore retail and housing development opportunities on the East side of I-91. This is meant to promote revitalization and equitable growth.
Community engagement seems to be a central part of the initiative. Officials want to give a voice and a vote to the people who previously did not have a say in the construction of I-91 and the long-lasting effect it would have on their lives.
Meetings, surveys and community workshops will be used to meet the goal, making sure the people most affected by the changes agree with them and understand the benefits that are projected to occur when implemented. Though community engagement has not yet started, you can find updates for the project on the City of New Haven website, email Brian Goldner, or sign up for the City Plan’s newsletter.