From @rhodeislandcollege: “After World War II, the pursuit of renewal through demolition was official policy in the city of Providence. In a 1947 report, The Providence Redevelopment Agency recommended that 11,000 buildings, or 25% of the city’s real estate, be torn down and redeveloped, most of that land along the routes of new highways. Providence historian Lucy Asako Boltz found that between 1949 and 1960, the PRA had forced 14,000 people out of their homes, though official plans called for the eviction of many more. The displaced, many African-Americans who landlords would not rent to, were seldom helped in their search for new housing.

— Rhode Island College Instagram quoted on SEGREGATION BY DESIGN, “Providence: Freeways and Urban Renewal“

The PRA was created to eliminate and prevent blighted and substandard areas in the
City and replace such areas through redevelopment of well-planned, integrated stable,
safe, and healthful neighborhoods.

— From the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024 for the City of Providence, Rhode Island

The Providence Redevelopment Agency (PRA) was formed on December 20, 1946 pursuant to RIGL 45-31. (Also from the FY24 Providence CAFR)