Housing
The Insurance Company That Thought Its Buildings Could Save Cities
Why Prudential thought it could save America's downtowns through its own decentralization.
During one of the darker periods of the American downtown, a Newark-based insurance company thought its own decentralization could be the answer.
Prudential, offering life insurance to Americans since the 1870s, wanted to insure the stability of the American city against the rise of suburbanization by establishing regional home offices (RHOs) around the country. The thought was, if an insurance company believes in a downtown, other companies will feel equally assured.