A new website that documents urban renewal and the displacement of Black neighborhoods in Downtown Athens launched Friday.
Research into the urban renewal project R-51 and its destruction of two predominantly Black neighborhoods, Lickskillet and The Bottom, started in 2023. The Mayor’s Office, Historic Athens and the University of Georgia’s Community Mapping Lab collaborated to bring Athens this research.
R-51 displaced nearly 400 households and demolished community structures in the 1960s in Downtown Athens. The displacement disproportionately affected Black families, who made up about 60% of the households.
The researchers say the project's data is limited. In a press release, the mayor's office said it hopes to speak with families impacted by urban renewal firsthand.
To learn more and to see the research, visit communitymappingarchive.org.
