Providence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in
the United States.[1] Located in Providence County, it is the
estimated third-largest city[2] in the New England region. Despite having an estimated population of 175,255 as of 2006, it
anchors the 35th largest metropolitan population in the country, with an estimated MSA population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by about 60% due to its
reaching into southern Massachusetts.[3][4][5] Situated at the mouth of the Providence
River, on Narragansett Bay, the city's small footprint is crisscrossed by
seemingly erratic streets and a rapidly changing demographic using them.
Providence was founded by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful
Providence" which he believed was responsible for his finding such a haven to settle. After being one of the first cities in the
country to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware industry. Today, Providence city proper alone is home to eight hospitals and seven
institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the former's economy into service industries, though it still retains
significant manufacturing work. The city was once nicknamed the "Beehive of Industry", while today "The Renaissance City" is more
common, though as of 2000 census, its poverty rate was still among the ten highest for cities over 100,000.[6][7]
History
-
The area which is now Providence was first settled in June 1636 by Roger
Williams, and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies of the United
States.[8] Williams secured a title from the
Narragansett natives around this time and gave the city its present name. Williams
also cultivated Providence as a refuge for persecuted religious dissenters, as he himself had been exiled from Massachusetts.[9] Providence's growth would be slow during the next quarter-century — the subsuming of its
territory into surrounding towns, difficulty of farming the land, and differing of local traditions and land conflicts all slowed
development.[9]
Providence in the mid-20th century
In the mid-1770s, the British government levied taxes that impeded Providence's maritime, fishing and agricultural industries,
the mainstay of the city's economy. One example was the Sugar Act, which impacted Providence's
distilleries and its trade in rum and slaves. These taxes caused Providence to join the other colonies in renouncing allegiance
to the British Crown. In response to enforcement of unpopular trade laws, Providence residents spilled the first blood of the
American Revolution in the notorious Gaspée Affair of 1772.[9]
Though during the Revolutionary War the city escaped enemy occupation, the
capture of nearby Newport disrupted industry and kept the population on alert.
Troops were quartered for various campaigns and Brown University's University Hall was
used as a barracks and military hospital.[9]
Following the war, the economy shifted from maritime endeavors to manufacturing, particularly machinery, tools, silverware,
jewelry and textiles. At one time, Providence boasted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including
Brown & Sharpe, Nicholson File, and Gorham Silverware.[9] The city's industries attracted many
immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, England, Italy, Portugal, Cape Verde, and French Canada. Economic and demographic
shifts caused social strife, notably with a series of race riots between whites and blacks during the 1820s. In response to these
troubles and the economic growth, Providence residents ratified a city charter in 1831.[9]
During the Civil War, local politics split over slavery as many had ties to
Southern cotton. Despite ambivalence concerning the war, the number of military volunteers routinely exceeded quota, and the
city's manufacturing proved invaluable to the Union. Providence thrived postwar, waves of immigrants and land annexations brought
the population from 54,595 in 1865 to 175,597 by 1900.[9]
The city began to see a decline by the mid-1920s as industries, notably textiles, shut down. The Great Depression hit the city hard, and Providence's downtown was flooded by the
New England Hurricane of 1938 soon after. The city saw further decline as
a result of nation-wide trends, with the construction of highways and increased suburbanization.[9] From the 1950s to the 1980s, Providence was a notorious bastion
of organized crime.[10] The legendary mafia boss Raymond Patriarca ruled a vast
criminal enterprise from the city for over three decades, during which murders and kidnappings would become commonplace.[10]
New construction in Providence (August 2006): cranes seen for
Waterplace Condominium towers,
Westin addition, and the
GTECH headquarters prior to completion
The city's eponymous "Renaissance" began in the 1970s. From 1975 until 1982, $606 million of local and national Community Development funds were invested throughout the city,
and the hitherto falling population began to stabilize. In the 1990s, Mayor Vincent Cianci,
Jr showcased the city's strength in arts and pushed for further revitalization, ultimately resulting in the opening up of
the city's natural rivers (which had been paved over), relocation of a large section of railroad underground, creation of
Waterplace Park and river walks along the river's banks, and construction of the Fleet
Skating Rink (now the Bank of America Skating Rink) in downtown and
the 1.4 million ft² Providence Place Mall.[9]
New investment triggered within the city, with new
construction including numerous condo projects, hotels, and a new office highrise all filling in the freed space.[11][12] Despite new investment, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most post-industrial New England cities. Nearly 30 percent of the city population lives below the
poverty line.[13] Recent increases in real
estate values further exacerbate problems for those at marginal income levels, as Providence had the highest rise in median
housing price of any city in the United States from 2004 to 2005.[14]
Geography
Providence neighborhoods with major highways shown
The Providence city limits enclose a small geographic region, with a total area of 53.2 km² (20.5 mi²). 47.8 km² (18.5 mi²) of it is land and the
remaining 5.3 km² (2.1 mi²) (roughly 10%) of it is water.
Providence is located at the head of Narragansett Bay, with the Providence River running into the bay through the center of the city,[15] formed by the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers. The Waterplace
Park amphitheater and riverwalks line the river's banks through downtown. Constitution Hill (near downtown), College (or Prospect) Hill (east of the
Providence River), and Federal Hill (west of downtown and is New England's largest Italian district) are the most prominent of
the city's hills. The remaining hills include Tockwotten Hill at Fox
Point, Smith Hill (where the State House is located), Christian Hill at Hoyle Square (junction of Cranston &
Westminster Streets), and Weybosset Hill at the lower end of Weybosset Street, which was leveled in the early 1880s.
Neighborhoods
-
The Providence skyline viewed from College Hill
Providence has 25 official neighborhoods, though these neighborhoods are often grouped together and referred to
collectively:[16][17]
- The North End is formed by the combination of the neighborhoods of Charles and Wanskuck.
- West Broadway is an officially recognized neighborhood with its own association. It overlaps with the southern half of
Federal Hill and the northern part of the West End.[18]
Cityscape
Perspective of Westminster Street
The city of Providence is geographically very compact, characteristic of eastern seaboard cities which developed prior to use of the automobile. For this reason,
Providence has the eighth-highest percentage of
pedestrian commuters.[19][20] The street layout is somewhat chaotic — over one thousand streets (a great
number for the city's size) run haphazardly, connecting and radiating from traditionally bustling places like Market
Square.[21]
Downtown Providence has numerous 19th century mercantile buildings in the Federal and Victorian architectural styles, as well as several post-modern and modernist buildings,
are located throughout this area. In particular, a fairly clear spatial separation appears between the areas of pre-1980s
development and post-1980s development. Fountain Street and Exchange Terrace serve as rough boundaries between the two.
The newer area includes Providence Place Mall (1999), a Westin hotel (1993), GTECH (2006), new condominium
construction, and Waterplace Park (1994); the area tends toward newer development since
much of it is land reclaimed in the 1970s from a mass of railroad tracks which was referred to colloquially as the "Chinese
Wall".[22] This part of Downtown is characterized by open
spaces, wide roads, and intent landscaping.
The historic part of downtown has many streetscapes that look as they did eighty years ago. Most of the state's tallest
buildings are found here. The largest structure, to date, is the
art-deco-styled former Industrial Trust Tower, currently the Bank of America
Building at 426 feet (130 m).[23] By contrast, nearby to it is the second tallest
One Financial Center, designed in modern taut-skin cladding, constructed a half
century later.[24] In between the two is 50 Kennedy Plaza. The Textron Tower is also a core building to
the modest Providence skyline. Downtown is also the home of the Providence Biltmore
and Westminster Arcade, the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the U.S., built in
1828.[25]
The city's southern waterfront, away from the downtown core, is the location of many oil tanks, a docking station for a ferry
boat, a decommissioned Russian submarine, a non-profit sailing center, bars, strip clubs, and power plants. The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is also found here, built to protect Providence from
storm surge, like that it had endured in the 1938 New England Hurricane and again in 1954 from Hurricane Carol.[26]
The majority of the cityscape comprises abandoned and revitalized industrial mills, double and triple decker housing (though the row houses found in so commonly
in other Northeast cities, are notably rare here),[27] a
small number of high-rise buildings (predominantly for housing the elderly), and single family homes. I-95 serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods
such as Federal Hill and the West End.
Climate
Providence's climate is humid continental, with hot summers, cold winters,
and high humidity year-round. The USDA rates the city at Zone
6a, which is an "in-between" climate. The influence of the Atlantic Ocean keeps
Providence, and the rest of the state of Rhode Island, warmer than many inland locales in New England.[28][29]
January is the coldest month with average high temperatures of 37° F
(3° C) and average low temperatures of 20°F (-7°C).[30] July is
the warmest month with average high temperatures of 83°F (28°C) and average low temperatures of 64°F (18°C).[30] The
record high temperature in the city was 104°F (40°C) recorded in 1975.[30] The record low temperature in the city was -17°F
(-27°C) recorded in 1934.[30]
As with the rest of the northeastern seaboard, Providence receives ample precipitation year-round. Monthly precipitation
ranges from a high of 4.43 inches (112.5 mm) in March to a low of
3.17 inches (80.5 mm) in July.[31] Precipitation levels
are generally slightly lesser in the summer months than the winter months when powerful storms known as Nor'easters can cause significant snowfall and blizzard conditions. Though
not frequent, Providence's location at the head of Narragansett Bay makes it vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes.
| Weather averages for Providence, Rhode Island |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Average high °F |
37 |
39 |
48 |
58 |
69 |
77 |
83 |
81 |
73 |
63 |
52 |
42 |
|
| Average low °F |
20 |
23 |
30 |
39 |
49 |
58 |
64 |
63 |
55 |
43 |
35 |
26 |
|
| Precipitation inch |
4.37 |
3.45 |
4.43 |
4.16 |
3.66 |
3.38 |
3.17 |
3.90 |
3.70 |
3.69 |
4.40 |
4.14 |
|
| Average high °C |
3 |
4 |
9 |
14 |
21 |
25 |
28 |
27 |
23 |
17 |
11 |
6 |
|
| Average low °C |
-7 |
-5 |
-1 |
4 |
9 |
14 |
18 |
17 |
13 |
6 |
2 |
-3 |
|
| Precipitation mm |
111 |
87.6 |
112.5 |
105.7 |
93.0 |
85.9 |
80.5 |
99.1 |
94.0 |
93.7 |
111.8 |
105.2 |
|
| Source: Weather.com[32] Jan 2007 |
Demographics
City of Providence
Population by year[33][34][33][35] |
Census
year |
Population |
U.S. rank |
|
| 1790 |
6,380 |
9 |
| 1800 |
7,614 |
9 |
| 1810 |
10,070 |
11 |
| 1820 |
11,767 |
13 |
| 1830 |
16,833 |
12 |
| 1840 |
23,171 |
14 |
| 1850 |
41,513 |
17 |
| 1860 |
50,666 |
16 |
| 1870 |
68,904 |
21 |
| 1880 |
104,857 |
20 |
| 1890 |
132,146 |
25 |
| 1900 |
175,597 |
20 |
| 1910 |
223,326 |
23 |
| 1920 |
237,595 |
27 |
| 1930 |
252,981 |
37 |
| 1940 |
253,504 |
37 |
| 1950 |
248,674 |
43 |
| 1960 |
207,498 |
56 |
| 1970 |
179,213 |
71 |
| 1980 |
156,804 |
100 |
| 1990 |
160,728 |
110 |
| 2000 |
173,618 |
119 |
| 2005 est. |
176,862 |
124 |
As of the census2 of 2000, the population comprised 173,618 people, 62,389 households, and 35,859
families.[13] The population density was 3,629.4/km² (9,401.7/mi²), characteristic of comparatively older cities in
New England such as New
Haven, Connecticut, Boston, and
Hartford, Connecticut.[36] Also like these cities, its population peaked in the 1940s just prior to the nationwide period of rapid suburbanization.
Providence has had a substantial Italian population since the turn of the century, evidenced by its own Little Italy in
Federal Hill.[37] Today, Providence is home to the only three remaining Italian majority districts in the
country.[38] Irish immigrants have also had considerable
influence on the city's history, with 8% of residents claiming Irish heritage.[39]
Belying Providence's traditionally white makeup is the sizable minority presence it has acquired in the last twenty years.
Though nearby cities like Boston and Hartford have longer-standing black and Latino communities, Providence now has a higher
minority percentage, with non-Hispanic whites comprising less than half (45.8%) of the population.[40][41] Though salient contributions to this growth have been among Asians and
unspecified races, the most dramatic change comes from Hispanics, whose presence has increased fivefold.[41] Having origins in Puerto Rico, Colombia, the Dominican
Republic, and Central America (particularly Guatemala), Hispanics have strong influence in the neighborhoods of Elmwood, the West End, and
Upper and Lower South Providence.[41] Hispanic impact is even larger in the city's schools. Hispanics represent
over half (55%) of all students in the city's school system while comprising only 30% of Providence's population.[42][40]
In addition, Providence, like nearby Fall River, Massachusetts and
New Bedford, Massachusetts, has a considerable population of immigrants from
the Portuguese Empire, living mostly in the areas of Washington Park and
Fox Point.[43][44][45] African
Americans constitute approximately 15% of the city with the largest percentages in Mount Hope and Upper and Lower South
Providence neighborhoods.[46][13] Asians are 6% of Providence's population and have enclaves scattered
thoroughout the city.[46] Another 6%
of the city has multiracial ancestry. Native Americans and Pacific Islanders make up the remaining 1.3%.[13]
The Providence metropolitan area, which includes Providence,
Fall River, Massachusetts, and
Warwick is estimated to be 1,622,520.[3] In 2006, this area was officially added to the Boston Combined Statistical
Area (CSA), the fifth-largest CSA in the country. In
last fifteen years, Providence has experienced a sizable growth in its under-18 population, attributed to the influx of
Hispanics.[40] The median age of
the city is 28 years, while the largest age cohort is comprised of 20 to 24 year
olds owing to the city's large student population.[40][47]
The per capita income, as of the 2000
census, was $15,525, which is well below both the state average of $29,113,[48] and the national average of $21,587.[49][13] The median
income for a household was $26,867, and the median income for a family in Providence was $32,058, according to the 2000 census.
The city has one of the highest rates of poverty in the nation with 29.1% of the population and 23.9% of families living below
the poverty line in 2000, the largest concentrations being found in the city's
Olneyville, and Upper and Lower South Providence areas.[50][7] Poverty affected children at a disproportionately higher rate with 40.1% of
those under the age of 18 living below the poverty line, concentrated particularly west of downtown in the neighborhoods of Hartford, Federal
Hill, and Olneyville.[50]
Crime
The rate of violent crime in the city has dropped for five consecutive years, running contrary to contemporaneous national
trends in comparably-sized cities.[51][52] The city's 11
homicides in 2006 represented a historic low.[51] Averaged over three years, murders had highest concentrations in Olneyville and the West End
neighborhoods.[53] Of the 239 United States cities over
100,000 in population, Providence's violent crime rate ranked 84th in 2003, as compared with New York City at 94th and Boston at
28th.[54] Notwithstanding its comparatively low rate of
violent crime, the rate of property crime is 50% above the national average, with car theft in particular at 150% higher.[55]
David Cicilline, mayor since 2002, is a member of the
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[56] a bi-partisan group with the goal of
reducing illegal gun ownership. The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Economy
Providence was one of the first cities to industrialize in the United States. By 1830, the city had manufacturing industries
in metals, machinery, textiles, jewelry, and silverware. Though manufacturing has declined, the city is still one of the largest
centers for jewelry and silverware design and
manufacturing. Services, particularly education, health care, and finance, also make up a large portion of the city's economy.
Providence also is the site of a sectional center facility, a regional
hub for the U.S. Postal Service.[57] Since it is the
capital of Rhode Island, Providence's economy additionally consists of government services.
![Data from City-Data.com[58]](http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/c/c2/350px-Prov-econ.JPG)
Data from City-Data.com
[58]
The Fortune 500 conglomerate Textron and Fortune 1000 company Nortek Incorporated are both
headquartered in the city, and GTECH's world headquarters has recently been moved to
downtown Providence.[63] Citizens Bank is also headquartered in Providence.[64] Another company whose origins were in the city is Fleet Bank. Once Rhode Island's largest bank, it moved its headquarters to Boston, Massachusetts, after acquiring Shawmut Bank in
1995. Before its acquisition by Bank of America, Fleet merged with BankBoston to become New England's largest commercial bank.
The city is home to the Rhode Island Convention Center, which opened in December 1993.[65] Along with a hotel, the convention center is connected to the
Providence Place Mall, a major retail center, through a skywalk.[65] The Port
of Providence, the second largest deepwater seaport in New England,[59] handles cargo such as cement, chemicals, heavy machinery, petroleum,
and scrap metal.[66]
Government
Providence serves as Rhode Island's capital, housing the Rhode Island
Legislature as well as the offices of the Governor and the
Lieutenant Governor in the Rhode Island State House.
Providence's city government has a mayor-council form of government. There
are fifteen city councilors, one for each of the city's wards. The city council is tasked with enacting ordinances and passing an
annual budget. Providence also has probate and superior courts. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island is
located downtown across from City Hall adjacent to Kennedy Plaza.
Vincent Cianci, Jr, who is commonly credited with Providence's 1990s renaissance, was
the city's longest serving mayor and a major presence in Providence politics.[67] Nevertheless, during Operation Plunder Dome, Cianci
was indicted in April 2001 on various federal criminal charges pertaining to racketeering, and was subsequently imprisoned. In
2002, David N. Cicilline was elected mayor in a landslide, making him the first openly
gay mayor of an American state capital.[68] Providence is the largest American city to have an openly gay mayor.[68]
Education
Postsecondary
Hope College and Manning Hall at Brown University
Seven of the fourteen institutions of higher learning in Rhode Island have campuses in Providence (city proper):
Between these schools the number of postsecondary students is approximately 44,000, or 25% the population of
Providence.[69] Compounded by Brown University's being
the second-largest employer,[59] higher
education exerts in a considerable presence in the city's politics and economy.
Private and charter schools
Several private schools, including Moses Brown, the Lincoln School, and the Wheeler School, are in the
city's East Side. La
Salle Academy, a Catholic high school, is located in the Elmhurst area of the city near Providence College. The public
charter schools Times Square Academy (K-12) and Textron Chamber of
Commerce (9-12) are funded by GTECH and Textron respectively.[70] In addition, the city's South Side houses Community Preparatory School, a
private school serving primarily low-income students in grades 3-8.
