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My City Was Gone
by The Pretenders

I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY CITY WAS GONE
THERE WAS NO TRAIN STATION
THERE WAS NO DOWNTOWN
SOUTH HOWARD HAD DISAPPEARED
ALL MY FAVORITE PLACES
MY CITY HAD BEEN PULLED DOWN
REDUCED TO PARKING SPACES
A, O, WAY TO GO OHIO

WELL I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY FAMILY WAS GONE
I STOOD ON THE BACK PORCH
THERE WAS NOBODY HOME
I WAS STUNNED AND AMAZED
MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
SLOWLY SWIRLED PAST
LIKE THE WIND THROUGH THE TREES
A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO

I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE
HAD BEEN PAVED DOWN THE MIDDLE
BY A GOVERNMENT THAT HAD NO PRIDE
THE FARMS OF OHIO
HAD BEEN REPLACED BY SHOPPING MALLS
AND MUZAK FILLED THE AIR
FROM SENECA TO CUYAHOGA FALLS
SAID, A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO

The Post had an online discussion with a Georgetown Law Prof about the ruling. He seems to think the ruling will bring about affordable housing to the cities' poor. Living in the DC area, I've not encountered an instance where blighted neighborhoods were replaced with reasonably-priced housing. Alexandria is selling new-construction studio condos from the $300,000s.

J. Byrne: The Court did find that the Constitution does not prohibit a city from condemning homes as part of a much discussed, publicly approved redevelopment project. It does not mean that such actions will be frequent or widespread.

He fails to mention that it also does not mean that such actions WON'T be frequent or widespread.

"He seems to think the ruling will bring about affordable housing to the cities' poor."

The urban renewal crowd has been saying that for 50 years, and I agree with you, it NEVER happens.

In 1960, I watched my mother cry as she caught her first glimpse of what urban renewal had done to the West End of Boston where she grew up. What replaced it? Luxury apartments!

http://www.yale.edu/socdept/slc/urban/urban4.html