Model Cities Program

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The Model Cities Program, was an element of United States President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty, was an ambitious federal urban aid program that ultimately fell short of its goals. Authorized on November 3, 1966 by the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966, the program ended in 1974, Model Cities originated in several concerns of the mid-1960s. Widespread urban violence, disillusionment with the Urban Renewal program, and bureaucratic difficulties in the first years of the War on Poverty led to calls for reform of federal programs. The Model Cities initiative created a new program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) intended to improve coordination of existing urban programs and provide additional funds for local plans. The program's initial goals emphasized comprehensive planning, involving not just rebuilding but also rehabilitation, social service delivery, and citizen participation. In 1969 Nixon administration changed course, and HUD retreated from insisting on citizen participation.