artwork > Cabrini-Green

Chicago's infamous public housing projects were built over a twenty year period starting in 1942. Cabrini-Green was comprised on 10 sections whose construction reflected the "urban renewal" approach to United States city planning in the mid-twentieth century. At its peak, Cabrini–Green was home to 15,000 people, living in mid- and high-rise apartment buildings. Over the years, gang violence and neglect created terrible conditions for the residents, and the name "Cabrini–Green" became synonymous with the problems associated with public housing in the United States. Most of the buildings have been razed and the entire neighborhood is being redeveloped into a combination of high-rise buildings and row houses, with the stated goal of creating a mixed-income neighborhood, with some units reserved for public housing tenants. Controversy regarding the implementation of these plans has arisen