What Remains: Memory, Urban Renewal, and the Erasure of Alley Communities in Southwest

Abstract

This project examines the long-term consequences of urban renewal on the historical and cultural landscape of Southwest Washington, D.C., focusing on the erasure of its alley dwelling communities. Using “The Island” as a case study—a neighborhood once defined by its close-knit, working-class residents and named alleys—the research interrogates how redevelopment has displaced marginalized populations and erased both tangible and intangible heritage. The study draws on archival materials, planning documents, and preservation reports to trace the transformation of Southwest from a diverse, culturally vibrant area to a modernized space marked by exclusion and loss. Alley dwellings serve as both a physical remnant and a symbol of deeper spatial injustices, shaped by D.C.’s unique urban form and racial history. Despite their marginalization, these spaces housed resilient communities whose stories have largely been omitted from mainstream preservation narratives. This research critiques traditional preservation approaches that prioritize architectural significance over social history and proposes a reparative framework that integrates memory work, programming, and community engagement. This work urges preservationists, planners, and policymakers to reconceptualize what historic preservation can do for lost landscapes.