Abstract
Purpose. Communities have long endured the dynamics of change. In East Los Angeles, community conditions have deteriorated over the past century with dilapidated housing, obsolete infrastructure, and aging industry. Alternatives were limited in addressing these complex urban problems. The purpose of the study was to describe how and why East Los Angeles communities developed a favorable economic development environment that resulted in the adoption of a redevelopment plan. Theoretical framework. A theoretical framework that assessed the influence of business leader and stakeholder support, social problems and political leadership on the adoption of the redevelopment plan was based on the theories of community power, urban regimes, and public entreprepreneurship. Methodology. The research methodology was based on a case study research design that compared the community of Boyle Heights (subject case) with the community of Lincoln Heights (control case) to determine the factors that influenced the adoption of a redevelopment plan. Quantitative research included secondary data from census and crime information prior to and after the adoption of the redevelopment project. Quantitative and qualitative research included primary data collected from chamber of commerce surveys and stakeholder group interviews. Findings. The researcher found that there were three major factors that influenced the adoption of a redevelopment project in East Los Angeles: business leader support, social problems, and political leadership. Scores of business support of the two communities were significantly different at the p < .05 level. Conclusions and recommendations. The research study revealed that the case study design was a valuable tool for providing insights into some of the main determinants affecting the adoption of the Adelante Eastside Redevelopment Plan. Four major factors of business leader support, social problems, stakeholder support, and political leadership were identified as potentially affecting the adoption of the redevelopment plan. These factors were tested and analyzed among two communities and revealed a significant difference among three of the factors at the p < .05 level. Recommendations for future research include reevaluation of stakeholder support to include neighborhood empowerment efforts and expansion of case study research to other organizations considering inner-city revitalization.