A City of Neighborhoods, Segregation, Martin Lither King, and Fair Housing

I will admit that I am very gullible and easily convinced; I have accepted this fact. I'm sure that infomercials will be the demise of my bank account once I turn eighteen. Bearing all this in mind, I will admit that the selections taken from the beginning of The Rise and Fall of a Modern Ghetto really had me believing that the idea of public housing would work. However, by writing this in the early twenty-first century, I had the rare opportunity to have "watched the ending scene before the opening credits" and I understood that this possibly smart idea was doomed to failure. Our field trip today, viewing a trajectory of housing sites ranging from the old project housing to the homes in the new Plan for Transformation, combined with our reading shed light on this issues surrounding affordable public housing.

The concept of public housing had serious issues from its onset. Everyone agreed on the need to help the poor as long as it wouldn't directly effect them. Several better suited sights were rejected because of their proximity to middle/upper class white neighborhoods, thus demonstrating the innate discrimination of the project. The need for public housing skyrocketed during and after World War II as tidal waves of people swept through Chicago seeking better opportunities. Refugees from war torn countries crammed their way onto Chicago's streets and African Americans came up from the south looking for work in war plants during the Great Migration. The city's hyper-industrialization only added fuel to the flames. This combination put a strain on Chicago's housing markets, which were already limited to African Americans through a series of restrictive housing codes. City officials needed to find a large amount of cheap housing quickly. In addition, white war veterans received benefits from a GI Bill, such as college grants, which were not available to black veterans. This widened the economic gap between the racial groups.

Suburbs were also becoming more and more popular among wealthy whites as a result of whole mortgage subsidies. In addition, the increase in suburban living led to the interstate highway system, connecting the suburbs and cities; these highways actively segregated the city. Thus, when the public housing site was chosen and the projects were built on the south side, it was secluded from the downtown area, and effectively cut off from the grid. The highway system essentially created a wall separating its largely African American population and reinforcing racial zones. An interesting note, shared by my wonderful tour leader, Sean Young, was that when the government was laying out the highway system, they built the south side exits larger and stronger in order to accommodate government tanks. This demonstrated how leaders expected unrest from the beginning. As a result, many people with limited social and economic mobility were forced to live with out the resources of the city, ultimately compounding many of their problems.

The housing projects were in no way intended for failure; indeed, for their first three years they were considered a success. In fact, European immigrants were able to benefit from the projects by using them as a stepping stone on the way to a better economic future when first coming to America. The demise of the projects only came when groups government agencies and other groups failed to keep up their end of the bargain. Only time will show weather the city's new Plan for Transformation will cure the city of some of the social ills that accompanied the projects. One part of the plan that will hopefully produce positive change is the idea of de-concentrating poverty. Consequently, the new homes will be divided into thirds and split between the Chicago Housing Authority residents, people with subsidized housing, and people buying at market rate.

An interesting disparity between the reading on the original projects and this Plan for Transformation homes that I saw today was the number of playgrounds. As described by Venkatesh the original play were inadequate for the colossal number of children living in the projects. As described by a young woman, "Children lined up seven or eight deep just waiting to use a particular piece of play equipment... upwards of 2,000 children may be cramped into one of two relatively small play areas." Thus, children created their own play spaces in elevators and on rail road tracks. This lack of proper play equipment and the immense open space in the projects opened the door for disaster, such as gang violence. However, in the new homes I visited today I saw several playgrounds. In one group of possibly 30 town homes, I counted three different play structures. Hopefully, this increase will help to combat some of the problems that inflicted the previous public housing.

A city of Neighborhoods: Diversity and Immigration

With a 40 minute subway commute and a successful L transfer under my belt, I made my way to Pilsen on Chicago's lower west side to explore its phenomenal National Museum of Mexican Art. Before departing for my excursion, I was given a map displaying the major "racial" groups for Chicago and the vicinity, based off the 2000 census. This particular map used variations in color to represent the different ethnic groups and their concentrations. It was evident that there were distinct pockets of culture located throughout the metro area. One of things I found particularly interesting was that communities containing residents that were 90%+ white and 90%+ African American shared an approximately equal area of lakefront property. I had expected the lakefront to be dominated by the traditionally wealthier white population. This visual guide also reiterated that fact that suburbs are traditionally white neighborhoods; there are very few ethnic enclaves located situated beyond the Chicago city limits.

Whereas there is almost certainly some factor of self-segregation in these communities, because racial support systems have heretofore been set up, there are most defiantly other forces combining to cause this marked racial segregation. While outward expressions have taken a nosedive since the days of segregation, subtle discrimination is still alive and well in most communities. An prominent example of this more inconspicuous discrimination is the unjust housing policies that some municipalities have chosen to adopt. This coupled with the already low number of affordable houses available has created a very limited market for minorities. This map indicated how the question is "whether Chicago will become a city of coexisting, cooperating groups sharing in ample resources, or a segregated city with heightened tensions among groups" (Maly and Leachman).

The National Museum of Mexican Art was a fabulous museum that I would highly recommend; in fact its only four hours later and I have already suggested it to two people. I found the exhibit on Mexican Muralists particularly engaging. Pilsen, though named from it's Czech heritage, is now largely a Hispanic neighborhood, and is easily identified by the outstanding murals dotting its streets. By looking at the impressive museum masterpieces, it is evident that there are some reoccurring themes in the works, specifically the plight of workers and the oppressed. Several pieces in the collection showed poor workers, such as field hands and factory workers in uncomfortable circumstances. Two of the pieces on oppression that were especially thought provoking dealt with the oppression in concentration camps during World War II. My favorite piece of art in the museum was called A Man to Remember by Charles H. White. (This is the picture featured in my post.) It was an unforgettable picture of a man so downtrodden and almost grotesque looking that you felt like you shouldn't stare, but yet couldn't look away. One of the most interesting elements in this piece was the whirlwind of brushstrokes surrounding the man, giving the impression that he is the only thing in focus. This clever technique forces you to acknowledge the immense suffering in the world, hopefully inspiring you to act for positive change.

An Introduction to Chicago/ From the Gold Coast to the Slums

While walking around Chicago's Gold Coast with Philip Nyden, Director of the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University Chicago, I had my first Sandra Bullock in Two Weeks Notice moment. In this romantic comedy, Bullock impeccably expresses the immense power architecture has over a community.

"What I love about architecture is its ability to shape a community, its ability to change strangers into neighbors, how the right design for a park makes people feel secure, and how a school building can be both beautiful and functional so that kids feel engaged instead of imprisoned."

With Phil as my guide, I came to the understanding that this philosophy rings true for almost every facet of an enviroment, particularly an urban one. This is the ideal that Urban planners strive for. On our adventure, I witnessed how a porch can open up a neighborhood while warding off crime and how a plaque can make someone pause and reflect. However, this is equally, if not more true, on the opposing negative front. I experienced how a gate can can act as an unconscious dismissal and that the angle of a railing can shoo someone on their way.

By viewing Michigan Avenue alongside the eyes of a skilled sociologist, I became cognizant of the way urban planners "play god" when developing a new area, subconsciously telling the "average Joe" how to spend his time. One of the most applaudable parts of Chicago's affluent Michigan Avenue is its ability to move tsunamis of people quickly and effectively. Thus, the developers effectivly employed tactics to send people on their way. Benches, encouraging people to linger, are forbidden on such a highly trafficked street; even the cement encompassing the sidewalk plants is placed at a level that most people would find uncomfortable to sit on for long.

What's maybe even more astounding about this magnificent mile is that if you detour a single street behind Water Tower Place, the opulent, over-the-top atmosphere quickly shifts to a feeling of sad destitution. The facade of water tower place as it faces Michigan Avenue is lavish and elegant; however, the architects deliberately left the backside of the building a blank, uninviting slate, urging potential customers back onto Michigan Avenue.

Hopefully today was the first of many light-bulb moments as I continue my exploration of Chicago and delve into a deeper understanding of the multiple dimensions that make up an urban environment. I look forward to understanding what makes Chicago unique and heading off to Pilsen!