The concept of urban renewal was originally created to deal with slums or blighted neighborhoods, mostly in America’s largest cities. Urban renewal first came to Iowa in 1957 and was focused on cleaning up neighborhoods near the state capitol in Des Moines, which, by then, fit the classic definition of a slum filled with derelict homes and businesses. The results are visible today in the West Capitol Terrace and the Lucas, Wallace and Grimes state office buildings, all built on land once considered blighted. Parking lots and garages occupy even more space than the buildings ...