A Discussion About Pruitt-Igoe

     As many already know, Pruitt-Igoe was affordable urban housing first established in the 1950s in St. Louis, Missouri. Pruitt-Igoe stands as a reminder of how something can go from wildly successful to a complete disaster in the short span of a couple decades. 

   

Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis, Missouri

    Lack of maintenance from the government that boasted Pruitt-Igoes's creation led to its ultimate downfall. Overtime, the housing authority failed over and over again, leading to raised rent and damaged lives. Risk of being victimized by crime and theft became the norm for the residents of Pruitt-Igoe. As we look at it now, almost 70 years since its opening, hindsight brings a lot more clarity.

    For many of us, looking into what happened at Pruitt-Igoe is truly devastating and unimaginable. The families that were torn apart and the lives lost due to violent crime is impossible to understand. 

    The same as many of the problems in current day America, a lot of Pruitt-Igoe's issues were caused by a severe mismanagement by the government. Though we can understand the trajectory that led to this disaster, how can we prevent future affordable housing from suffering in the same way? It seems that many affordable housing communities have similar problems today, or at least, a public perception of having similar problems.

    I think that a large part of this issue is that segregation of affordable housing from standard price units. This sense of isolation, as well as oftentimes affordable housing being placed in areas of high crime, creates a divide between people. Perhaps if affordable housing was sprinkled into standard housing, without such a distinct line, this problem would be helped.

    Obviously I don't have any clear answers or solutions to this problem, but it is evident that our government needs to reconsider the way they configure affordable housing. While there are successful affordable housing complexes and communities, this divide that exists is a huge problem. 

    As someone who is so far removed from the issues of Pruitt-Igoe, I can only wish that things had been different. Unfortunately, all we can change is the future. Designing with intent and treating people with dignity and respect can be a small part of the solution. As a designer, being mindful of this is truly important.