Urban renewal, which is generally called
urban regeneration or
regeneration in the United Kingdom, is a program of land
redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of
reconstruction. The process has had a major impact on many urban landscapes, and has played an important role in the history and demographics of cities around the world.