http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Heather/where%20we%20live%2006-11-2012.mp3
In the 1950s and 60s northeastern cities were evolving from being railroad hubs to being anchored by the insurance industry. And those “anchor companies” changed the skyline and the culture of the places they invested.
Today’s guest, Elihu Rubin, author of Insuring the City: The Prudential Center and the Postwar Urban Landscape, describes the presence of insurance companies in cities like Hartford and Boston as the “modern incarnation of the medieval corporate enclave,” a kind of civic icon.
The Prudential invested in the center of Boston in part to demonstrate its commitment to the city. In Hartford, Travelers swept in and rescued the Constitution Plaza project, while Connecticut General moved to suburban Bloomfield.
Today we look at the lasting influence of these and other companies, and examine how the big insurance companies are faring today. What will they mean for the places they call home? We’ll also hear from historian Bill Faude and Hartford Courant insurance reporter Matt Sturdevant.
