Investing in Neighbors: Eugenic Boosterism in Berkeley, 1890–1930 Available to Purchase

This essay examines urban planning practices in Berkeley, California, from 1890 to 1930, through the concept of “eugenic boosterism.” It explores how Berkeley’s civic and business leaders, influenced by eugenic ideologies, sought to curate a desirable population by promoting the city as a hub for artists, intellectuals, and other members of the emerging creative class. By analyzing the career of poet Charles Keeler, who served as executive director of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce in the early 1920s, this essay demonstrates how artistic and cultural initiatives were deployed as tools of social engineering. Berkeley’s experiment with eugenic boosterism offers critical insights for the creative cities movement today, cautioning against urban planning strategies that perpetuate inequality under the guise of cultural and economic development.