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Radburn, New Jersey is a planned model community developed by the City Housing Corporation in the late 1920s. Two decades earlier, in 1909, the Russell Sage Foundation had invested in the Sage Foundation Homes Company, for the creation of Forest Hills in Queens, New York. By 1924, the Russell Sage Foundation supported the City Housing Corporation and its development of Sunnyside Gardens, also in Queens. Following on the heels of these relative successes, the City Housing Corporation started to plan the Radburn development three years later, in 1927.

Investing in the Middle Class

Like its predecessors, Radburn was intended to provide families with modest incomes and limited resources the opportunity to live in healthful, pleasing conditions rather than in crowded, urban apartments. It aimed to put the economic security of home ownership within reach of the middle class.

Yet the opportunity to move to a garden setting did not apply to all potential buyers. Radburn had no written restrictive covenants for race, ethnicity, or religion, which were all too common in planned communities during the mid-twentieth century, and were, for example, in place at Sunnyside Gardens. But this did not mean that discrimination was not present. Looking back, Radburn residents have reflected that Black and Jewish buyers were discouraged by real estate agents and exclusion was upheld informally by the community association and City Housing Corporation’s administrators.

Philanthropy and Regional Planning

The City Housing Corporation was an outgrowth of the Regional Plan Association of America, founded in 1922, which brought together architects, planners, and landscape architects to think in new ways about housing, land use, and metropolitan development across the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Housing in particular proved to be a topic that quickly caught the interest of philanthropists.

Additional investors in City Housing Corporation, drawn by this emerging model of investment for social purposes, included the Carnegie Corporation of New York, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt, among others. The Carnegie Corporation funded the development of adult education programs at Radburn. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was a substantial investor, putting more than $1.5 million into the Radburn venture. Eleanor Roosevelt served as a member of the Advisory Committee.

Hard Times for Affordable Housing

But, unlike the Sage Foundation Homes Company’s Forest Hills (which drew its own criticism for pricing out its intended middle class clientele), Radburn was never completed because it was unable to survive the adverse economic impact of the Depression. In fact, Mrs. Roosevelt would go on to champion some of Radburn’s concepts in the federally-subsidized Arthurdale homestead housing project in West Virginia under the New Deal. But in the early days of the Great Depression, the Radburn experiment in what today might be called impact investing demanded not only a social return on investment, but a financial return. Despite public and media acclaim and significant professional recognition, the Radburn development was cut short after only partial completion.

Black and white map of the tri-state area including New York (Long Island, Westchester, and New York City), New Jersey, and Connecticut.
In 1927, the City Housing Corporation purchased 1350 acres of farm and pastureland in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, with hopes of creating a new kind of planned town.

In 1927, the City Housing Corporation purchased 1350 acres of farm and pastureland in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, with hopes of creating a new kind of planned town.

Map illustrating the distance from Manhattan to Radburn, New Jersey.
Radburn, “New town for the motor age”.

Radburn was located 10 miles from the construction site of the George Washington Bridge and New York City. It was intended to become “a new town for the motor age,” with a projected population of 25,000.

Advertisement of Radburn, New Jersey. It reads "Announcing Radburn, A New Town". Below are two photos, one captioned "In 1924 City Housing Corporation bought 70 acres of this land". The second photo is captioned "Now this tract is completely built up with the type of houses shown in this picture. All the land has been used - the houses have been sold, therefore"
The architects and planners for Radburn were Clarence Stein and Henry Wright.

The architects and planners for Radburn were Clarence Stein and Henry Wright. The landscape architect was Marjorie Sewell Cautley. Alexander Bing, a developer, was President of the City Housing Corporation. With Radburn, he wanted to expand on the accomplishments of Sunnyside Gardens.

Pamphlet of Sunnyside Gardens, which reads "Sunnyside Gardens, Development of City Housing Corporation, Long Island City, N.Y." Includes a map of the developments that reads "Block Plan showing interior garden courts"
Sunnyside Gardens.

Stein, Wright, and Cautley had all worked on the designs for Sunnyside Gardens. While Sunnyside had been confined to the block pattern of New York City, Radburn was not.

Map of Radburn Development. Reads "Diagram of Section No. 1 at Radburn. Showing 1929 construction, and arrangement of house groups on closed-end streets. Park areas of super-blocks are shown in dark green and individual gardens in light green."
The Radburn development would be surrounded by a greenbelt of nature.

The Radburn development would be surrounded by a greenbelt of nature. This offered an alternative to overcrowded cities and even to traditional suburbs. At Radburn, Stein, Wright, and Cautley created a unique plan separating vehicular roads from pedestrian pathways.

Map of Radburn, New Jersey. This map reads "Typical Closed-End Street. Showing how houses are grouped, one end opens a wide traffic avenue; the other on the park, which forms the center of each block. Motor ways give access for vehicles, while the footways connecting with park walks provide for pedestrian traffic."
The front door of each house faced a private yard that connected to a landscaped pedestrian circulation system.
Map with house formats located in Radburn.
The houses’ kitchens overlooked the roadways, while living rooms overlooked the pedestrian walkways.
Black and white photo of Radburn, New Jersey.
At Radburn, residents would drive to their houses, park the car, and then enter through the rear of the house.
Black and white image of an underpass and bridge in Radburn, New Jersey. Cars are passing over the bridge, as children are running underneath. One child is riding a tricycle.
The walkways connected with an underpass to Radburn’s school.
Black and white photo of a swimming pool in Radburn, New Jersey. Pool is fenced off with multiple swimming.
And also to swimming pools.
Black and white photo of children playing in a community playground. Featured is a large slide and play set within a fenced in area.
As well as to play areas and community facilities.
Cover of Radburn Protective Restrictions. It reads "Radburn Protective Restrictions and Community Administrations", "Declarations of Restrictions No. 12 Certificate of Incorporation and by-laws of the Radburn Association", "City Housing Corportation, a limited divided Company, Organized to Build Better Homes and Communities".
Radburn’s protective restrictions.

Radburn’s protective restrictions governed aesthetics, regulating fencing, setbacks, and additions, while also prohibiting billboards, businesses run out of homes, and the production of alcoholic spirits. There were no written restrictions on race, but informal measures blocked any racial diversity.

Black and white photo of community members playing Croquet.
Dues paid by Radburn residents funded services and recreational activities.

Dues paid by Radburn residents funded municipal services such as fire, police, and garbage removal, as well as community programs, nursery schools and kindergartens, well baby clinics, and recreational activities.

Advertisement for Abbot Court Apartments in Radburn. Advertisement reads "Abbott Court Apartments at Radburn, "The Town for the Motor Age". Image features an underpass and walkway to a large apartment with shrubs lining the building and walkway.
In addition to single family homes, Radburn also contained small apartment buildings and duplexes.
Black and white photo of the Radburn commercial center. Entrance to the commercial center is lined with trees.
Plaza Building

The commercial center of Radburn was the Plaza Building. It was within walking distance to all of the homes. Nearby was the commercial railway station.

City Housing Corporation published material, "Radburn Garden Homes". This colorful pamphlet depicts community members playing in a playground and other sports, as well as an illustrated map of the community lay out.
The City Housing Corporation published many brochures, pamphlets, and newsletters about Radburn.
Pamphlet titled "Garden Homes at Radburn...the Town for the Motor Age".
The new motor town quickly became famous among city planners.
Black and white image of homes with walkways and paths in Radburn.
The designs of its duplex and apartments won architectural awards.  
Image of Radburn, New Jersey with houses on the left side of the photo with pedestrian walkways, with an underpass on the right. The photo reads "Pedestrian walk and underpass Radburn, N.J., The "Town for the Motor Age".
Photographs of its features, including the underpass, were printed in books and articles all over the world.
Publication produced by City Housing Corporation, "Tomorrow's Town".
Radburn failed as a fully realized venture. 

Although this model development received praise, Radburn itself failed as a fully realized venture.  Six months after the first families moved in, the stock market crash of 1929 occurred.

Sales data produced November 18, 1932.
Some of Radburn’s homes went into foreclosure.

During the Depression, few families could afford to purchase a new house. Some of Radburn’s homes went into foreclosure. Sales were insufficient for the City Housing Corporation to service the debt it had incurred to pay for the land, infrastructure, and community facilities.

Memorandum written May 17th, 1933 in regard to Radburn, New Jersey.
Alexander Bing and the City Housing Corporation kept trying to secure funds.

Alexander Bing and the City Housing Corporation kept trying to secure funds to continue developing the property. But City Housing Corporation’s financial backers were not willing to continue the venture without receiving a return on their investment.

Advertisement for Abbott Court Apartments. Featured are the apartment complexes, with layouts of the types of apartments available within.
Funding of the City Housing Corporation was a form of impact investing. 

Funding of the City Housing Corporation was a form of what today would be called impact investing.  The Corporation was designed to pay a modest profit of 6 percent on its limited dividend stock to the investors, while providing modern, affordable housing to families of moderate income. 

Letter from Alex Bing to John D. Rockefeller dated March 31, 1954.
By 1954, Radburn, Inc. was dissolved.

Funding of the City Housing Corporation was a form of what today would be called impact investing.  The Corporation was designed to pay a modest profit of 6 percent on its limited dividend stock to the investors, while providing modern, affordable housing to families of moderate income. 

Black and white photo of Radburn, New Jersey. Featured are houses within the community with walkways lined with shrubs.
Radburn remains one of the world’s most beautiful and important planned communities.

More than 85 years since its financial collapse, what was built at Radburn remains one of the world’s most beautiful and important planned communities. In the US, it has influenced the design of Greenbelt, Maryland, Reston, Virginia, and Columbia, Maryland. Variations of the Radburn idea appeared in Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.

Brochure of "Radburn the Town for the Motor Age". Featured are photos of the community layout, commercial center, underpass, Radburn Public School, and the Fair Lawn- Radburn Station.
Pamphlet, "Renting at Radburn". Cover features an underpass towards apartments. The other side of the pamphlet illustrates the route from Manhattan to Radburn.

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