The Pruitt-Igoe Experiment

Summary

The Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis was an ambitious mid-20th century urban development intended to be a model for public housing. However, it quickly became a symbol of failure due to architectural flaws, lack of maintenance, and social issues. Despite initial optimism, the complex faced rapid decline, with rising crime, poor living conditions, and a rent strike that highlighted financial struggles. By 1976, the entire development was demolished, leaving a legacy of lessons on the importance of community engagement and comprehensive urban planning.

Takeaways

• 🏢 The Pruitt-Igoe housing project was designed in the mid-20th century as a model for urban housing in the United States.
• 🏗️ Originally, the area was known as DeSoto Car, a neighborhood with overcrowded and substandard living conditions, which led to the push for redevelopment.
• 🌐 The project aimed to provide modern facilities and housing for both black and white residents, but quickly became predominantly occupied by African-Americans.
• 📉 Occupancy rates declined rapidly, and the area was soon seen as a 'dumping ground' for society's unwanted, leading to a spike in crime and social issues.
• 🛠 Maintenance and repair were neglected due to budget cuts, which further deteriorated the living conditions and contributed to the project's failure.
• 💔 The residents of Pruitt-Igoe were forced to live in a failing environment without having consented to be part of the social experiment.
• 📉 Financial problems, including a rent strike by residents, exacerbated the issues and led to the decision by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to close the project in 1972.
• 🏚 By 1976, the entire Pruitt-Igoe development was demolished, leaving only memories and lessons learned from its failure.
• 🤔 Debates continue over the reasons for the failure of Pruitt-Igoe, with arguments ranging from architectural flaws to social indifference and racial tensions.
• 🏙️ The site of Pruitt-Igoe has remained largely undeveloped, with multiple failed plans for its use, reflecting the lasting impact of the project's failure.
• 🔍 The story of Pruitt-Igoe serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of considering the voices of marginalized communities in urban planning and development.

Q & A

What was the original purpose of the Pruitt-Igo project?

The Pruitt-Igo project was intended to be a model for other urban housing projects, providing modern and affordable housing for residents.

What was the initial public reaction to the design of Pruitt-Igo?

When the plans for Pruitt-Igo were first drawn, they were met with critical acclaim from magazines, which called it a model for the rest of the country.

Why did the Pruitt-Igo project fail to meet its mission?

Pruitt-Igo failed due to a combination of factors including architectural flaws, lack of maintenance, location issues, social problems, and financial problems.

What were the conditions like for the residents of Pruitt-Igo after it opened?

The conditions deteriorated quickly with a spike in crime rate, broken infrastructure like elevators, rodent infestation, and a general lack of supervision and maintenance.

How did the demographic changes in the area contribute to the failure of Pruitt-Igo?

Demographic changes, such as white flight and the apathy of white residents towards the poverty of inner-city blacks, led to the area being considered unsafe and undesirable.

What was the impact of financial problems on the Pruitt-Igo project?

Financial problems led to budget cuts, which in turn resulted in a lack of necessary repairs and maintenance, contributing to the decline of the project.

What was the role of the architecture in the failure of Pruitt-Igo?

The architecture was criticized for being large, tall, and crowded, potentially causing a 'prisoner mentality' among residents and contributing to the project's failure.

What were the initial plans for the Pruitt-Igo site after the project was closed?

The site has had multiple failed development plans over the decades, with the most recent being the development of a hospital, which also fell through.

What lessons can be learned from the Pruitt-Igo failure?

The failure of Pruitt-Igo teaches us that housing alone does not solve social problems and that the voices of the marginalized must be considered in decision-making processes to prevent such failures.

What was the final outcome for the residents of Pruitt-Igo?

The residents were scattered in many directions after the project's closure, with many of their stories and experiences remaining untold.

What is the current status of the Pruitt-Igo site?

As of the script's knowledge cutoff, the site has sat empty for decades with plans to build a medical school by Ponce Health Sciences University, although there is uncertainty about the success of this endeavor.

Outlines

00:00

🏚️ Pruitt-Igo: The Rise and Fall of a Housing Project

The script discusses the failure of the Pruitt-Igo housing project, initially designed as a model for urban housing in the mid-20th century. It started with the Desoto Car development and aimed to provide public housing for African-American residents in St. Louis. The project was praised for its modern facilities and design, but it quickly became an embarrassment due to issues like broken infrastructure, crime, and social neglect. The script also touches on the broader implications of such urban development failures and the suffering of the residents involved.

05:01

🛠️ Pruitt-Igo's Decline: Neglect and Social Experiment

This paragraph delves into the decline of Pruitt-Igo, highlighting the city's lack of commitment to maintaining the quality of life for its residents. Financial reforms led to budget cuts, which in turn resulted in a lack of repairs and a strike by maintenance workers. The script describes the living conditions, including broken elevators, rodent infestations, and a general sense of disrepair. It also mentions the demographic shifts and white flight that contributed to the project's failure, as well as the social indifference towards the plight of inner-city blacks.

10:04

🏗️ Aftermath of Pruitt-Igo: Lessons and Reflections

The final paragraph reflects on the aftermath of the Pruitt-Igo project, discussing the scattered fate of its residents and the site's continued emptiness. It raises questions about the reasons for the project's failure, including architectural flaws, location issues, and financial problems. The script emphasizes the need to listen to the voices of marginalized people and to make decisions with their well-being in mind to prevent such failures in the future. It concludes with a call for a more inclusive and empathetic approach to urban development.

Keywords

💡Pruitt-Igo

Pruitt-Igo refers to the Pruitt-Igoe public housing project in St. Louis, Missouri, which was a large-scale urban renewal initiative in the mid-20th century. The project was initially lauded as a model for modern urban housing but later became a symbol of failure in public policy and architecture. In the script, it is described as a development that 'became an embarrassment to St. Louis and a place of suffering to the people who live there,' highlighting its role in the video's exploration of urban planning gone wrong.

💡Urban Renewal

Urban Renewal is a program of land development aimed at the redevelopment of urban areas. It is a key concept in the video as it frames the context within which Pruitt-Igoe was created. The script mentions that 'city planners around the United States started to consider how they would best mold their cities,' which underscores the video's focus on the impact of urban planning decisions on communities.

💡Slum Clearance

Slum Clearance is the process of demolishing substandard housing to make way for new development. In the video, it is mentioned that 'a massive slum clearance project' was part of the plans for Pruitt-Igoe, which illustrates the video's theme of the displacement and social upheaval caused by urban development projects.

💡Public Housing

Public Housing refers to government-owned housing provided for low-income residents. The Pruitt-Igoe project was a public housing initiative, as indicated by the script's reference to it as 'officially known as the Wendell O. Pruitt Homes and William Igo Apartments.' The video explores the consequences of public housing projects on the residents and the broader community.

💡Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings. The video discusses the architecture of Pruitt-Igoe, noting that 'many of the residents were proud to live in such a nice place' initially, but later it became a symbol of architectural failure due to its design flaws and the resulting negative impact on the residents' quality of life.

💡Occupancy Rates

Occupancy Rates refer to the percentage of housing units that are occupied. The script mentions that 'occupancy rates began to fall only four years later,' indicating a decline in the popularity and perceived value of Pruitt-Igoe, which is a critical aspect of the video's narrative on the project's decline.

💡Crime Rate

Crime Rate is a measure of the frequency of crimes in a particular area. The video describes a 'spike in the crime rate in Pruitt-Igoe,' which is used to illustrate the social problems that arose in the housing project and contributed to its eventual failure.

💡Budget Cuts

Budget Cuts refer to the reduction of funds allocated for a particular purpose. The script states that 'financial reform was attempted at Pruitt-Igoe and this led to budget cuts,' which affected the maintenance and repair of the housing project, contributing to its deterioration.

💡Rent Strike

A Rent Strike is a protest by tenants who refuse to pay rent to demand improvements in living conditions. The video mentions a 'wrench strike' at Pruitt-Igoe, which was a response to the lack of repairs and maintenance, further exacerbating the financial problems of the project.

💡Demolition

Demolition is the process of tearing down buildings or structures. The script describes the demolition of Pruitt-Igoe, noting that 'the last 2,000 tenants moved out of the project by May 1974' and 'by 1976 the entire development was gone,' signifying the end of the failed housing experiment.

💡Community Disinvestment

Community Disinvestment refers to the withdrawal of financial support and resources from a community, leading to decline. The video discusses how 'disinvestment and deindustrialization undermined the economic viability of the city's neighborhoods,' which is a key factor in the narrative of Pruitt-Igoe's failure.

💡White Flight

White Flight is the large-scale movement of white residents out of racially mixed urban areas into predominantly white suburban or exurban regions. The script mentions 'white flight' as a demographic shift that contributed to the decline of the area around Pruitt-Igoe, indicating the broader social issues at play in the project's failure.

💡Blight

Blight refers to a state of extreme neglect and decay in an urban area. The video uses the term to describe the perception of the area around Pruitt-Igoe, with planners arguing that it yielded 'pathological environments of crime, fear, poverty, and despair,' which fueled calls for redevelopment and contributed to the project's failure.

Highlights

Water lines in Pruitt-Igo apartment buildings broke, causing a flow of water that turned into ice, and residents had to deal with the mess when it thawed.

A broken sewer line at 2311 Dixon resulted in raw sewage bubbling out of the ground.

Pruitt-Igo was initially designed with the mission of being a model for other urban housing projects but ultimately failed.

The development of Pruitt-Igo began as a response to overcrowding and poor living conditions in the DeSoto Car neighborhood.

Pruitt-Igo was designed with modern facilities and was initially met with critical acclaim.

The project was racially segregated, with Pruitt for black residents and Igo for white residents, but most residents were black.

Occupancy rates in Pruitt-Igo began to fall as the area became associated with crime and social issues.

Residents of Pruitt-Igo experienced broken infrastructure, rodent infestations, and a lack of supervision for children.

Financial reform attempts at Pruitt-Igo led to budget cuts, which in turn resulted in a lack of repairs and maintenance.

A rent strike by residents exacerbated the financial problems of the development.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development decided to close Pruitt-Igo in 1972 due to its failure.

The last tenant of Pruitt-Igo, Miss Lillian Towns, had lived there for 18 years and raised 10 children.

Pruitt-Igo was completely demolished by 1976, and its legacy lives on only in memory.

Debate surrounds the reasons for Pruitt-Igo's failure, with arguments focusing on architecture, location, and social problems.

The site of Pruitt-Igo has remained empty for decades with multiple failed development plans.

Ponce Health Sciences University has announced plans to build a medical school on the former Pruitt-Igo site.

The story of Pruitt-Igo emphasizes the importance of considering the voices of marginalized people in urban development.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

water lines in several of the pruidigo

apartment buildings broke in a

subsequent flow of water turned into ice

today as temperatures warmed the ice

thawed and residents continued to battle

a resultant mess

at 2311 dixon a sewer line is broken and

now raw sewage bubbles out of the ground

like a malevolent spring temperature's

dropping as nightfall the residents here

in pruitica will probably be frozen in

again

then tomorrow should the temperatures

warm up the water will come back

and so it'll go until somebody comes in

to remedy the situation

pruitico it was a development design

with the mission of being a model for

other urban housing projects as time

went on however pruitt igo failed in

that mission it became an embarrassment

to st louis and a place of suffering to

the people who live there the residents

of pruitt i go unknowingly and

unwillingly participated in a human

social experiment as the world watched

and in 20 years it was all erased as

though it never happened

what was pruitt i go what caused this

historic failure and what lessons can we

take from this experiment gone wrong

[Music]

in the middle of the 20th century city

planners around the united states

started to consider how they would best

mold their cities into places where

people were more likely to establish

businesses live and spend their money

prudigo was born out of this concept

prior to the construction of this

complex the area started as a

development known as desoto car

the desoto car development was built in

the late 19th century and featured some

single-family dwelling units but many

multi-family units that were considered

tenements or slums

many of the residents of desoto car

neighborhood were african-american

as is the case of most of the slum

neighborhoods that made a ring around

the city of san luis de soto car as well

as saint louis itself had become

overcrowded and city officials knew they

had to make room for the residents of

the city that needed public housing

by 1908 city leaders were targeting de

soto carr for reform citing the lack of

services and sanitation in the area

in 1916 restrictive new laws led to the

forced segregation of the city and

desoto carr became further overcrowded

as the cries for redevelopment became

louder

[Music]

by the end of world war ii city planner

named harlem bartholomew was responsible

for designating a ring of slums around

the central business district of saint

louis which contained desoto car for

redevelopment and a massive slum

clearance project

around this time st louis was beginning

to expand their highway system this

really helped set the stage for plans

for pruitt i go in motion in 1951 ground

broke for the new pruitt igo project

officially known as the wendell o pruitt

homes and william igo apartments which

were bounded by cass on the north

carolina south 20th on the east and

jefferson on the west

all this newness i never thought i would

live in that kind of a surrounding

when the plans for pruitt ago were drawn

magazines met the architecture with

critical acclaim and called it a model

for the rest of the country there were

2700 apartments in the development

throughout 33 buildings there were 11

stories each the price the city paid to

develop each unit was equal to the price

of a three-bedroom ranch home at the

time

the facilities were modern and many of

the residents were proud to live in such

a nice place there were schools churches

and recreational facilities that were

created in and around peru at igo the

plans call for pruitt to be developed

for the black residents and i go to be

for the white residents but in a short

period of time most of the residents

that lived in pruitigo were black

[Music]

the first tenants moved into pruitt aigo

in 1954 and occupancy rates began to

fall only four years later prudaigo was

often seen as a dumping ground for

people that society did not have any

other place for

not long after the project opened there

was a spike in the crime rate in peru i

go in the surrounding neighborhoods

broken glass and trash scattered outside

elevators it did not work rodent

infestation and things being thrown from

windows children had little supervision

and were often causing damage to the

property people were drinking in the

stairwells these descriptions of life at

pruitigo help explain how the city

wanted credit for making a grand plan in

urban redevelopment but did not actually

want to follow through in ensuring the

quality of life of the people living in

pruitt igo was impacted in a positive

and meaningful way

the people who were forced to live here

had no control over the conditions that

existed at the development having been a

model for other urban renewal projects

the world watched as new methods were

tested at pruitt igo and these methods

were usually met with failing

financial reform was attempted at

pruitigo and this led to budget cuts

budget cuts led to lack of repairs being

made and lack of repairs led to a wrench

strike

the people who live there were forced to

live with this cycle and the rest of the

nation watched what worked and what

didn't work over and over until the

development failed

korea's food i go project is now

one-third down the rest of it should be

leveled by the end of this year once and

for all we ought to get rid of it it's

been an eyesore and a cancer to the city

and i think in that respect it's

positive that we are getting rid of

the problem

along with the social problems of the

development the rent strike added fuel

to the fire of financial problems that

led to the department of housing and

urban development making the decision to

close prudaigo in 1972

remaining tenants of the project were

moved to 11 of the original 33 buildings

and in that same year three buildings in

the middle of pruitt i go were

demolished

the last 2 000 tenants moved out of the

project by may 1974 just 20 years after

the first tenant moved in the final

tenant was named miss lillian towns she

lived at pruitt igo for 18 years and

raised 10 children there

she said that the development was

beautiful when she moved in and that

leaving hurts real bad

by 1976 the entire development was gone

and pruitt i go lives on only in memory

[Music]

there is much debate and myth that

surrounds the question of why puridago

failed many people argue that it was the

architecture that caused the

disadvantages of crude i go others say

it was lack of maintenance location and

social problems

many have argued that the architectural

flaws doomed pruitt i go from the start

the buildings are large and tall crowded

in a complex that could cause a prisoner

mentality in the people who had to live

there initial plans were not followed

through that would improve the complex

because they were considered too

expensive

the failure to improve the architectural

problems was central to the demise of

the project and so was the location

pruitigo was centered around other

public housing areas of st louis

disinvestment and deindustrialization

undermined the economic vibility of the

city's neighborhoods and severely

compromise its ability to sustain the

delivery of urban services

this type of community disinvestment

coupled with a cold modern architecture

that just didn't feel like a home led to

the failure of the

project with uh

public housing the problem that we

find the most uh pressing is one i've

talked about for quite a while publicly

the fact that

we simply do not have enough

money

to operate

as well as we should

author elizabeth birmingham and many

others argue that as the project

population was increased money for

landscaping and any services such as

gyms playgrounds a proposed grocery

store or additional public bathrooms

disappeared

the only public structure left was a

community center where housing authority

offices were set up to collect rent and

administrate the project

financial problems at the complex we're

also blamed by many st louis city

leaders and many people who study the

project we have our home here

and if the colors move in and run real

estate values down it's bound to create

tension and you will have

well i think their aim is mixed

marriages and

becoming people with the whites well i

just could not live beside them i don't

feel that they should be oppressed

but i moved here

one of the main reasons was because it

was a white community

and that's the only place i intend to

live

[Music]

along with architecture location and

financial problems many blame

demographic changes in the area such as

the apathy of white residents of saint

louis and a social indifference to the

poverty of inner city blacks white

flight contributed to this and most of

the white residents approved igo left

early and turned their backs on the

problem of their project once they were

gone demographic shifts in the inner

city and st louis led to the area be

being considered unsafe undesirable and

blighted

planners argue that pruitt i go yielded

pathological environments of crime fear

poverty and despair furthering their

perception of blight and fueling the

fire of calls for redevelopment and the

ultimate failure of the project

[Music]

the pruitt igo site has sat empty for

decades plans have been drawn and failed

every time with the most recent failure

coming through the development of a

hospital on the site and that plan fell

through

ponce health sciences university has

announced plans to build a medical

school on the site and has even broken

ground but if history is to repeat

itself there should be doubt over

whether these plans will be carried out

or if we'll go into the stack of failed

development plans of the former pruitt

igo site

[Music]

for the people who lived at pruitt i go

the end of the experiment saw them

scattered in many directions

peru diego is infamous for its failures

but the people that live there will

never know their names their stories

their experiences at pruitt i go they

were filled with disrepair community

apathy and an experiment that i hope is

never repeated

[Music]

housing by itself and of itself does not

solve all the social problems of our

community and i think that's the one

lesson i've learned out of this

pruitt i go was an experiment

it was an experiment that the people

that were forced to live there did not

give consent to participate in

it was an experiment to solve social

ills and to house people but housing

alone does not solve social ills

in the future

we need to listen to the voices of the

marginalized people

we need to listen to what will most

effectively make their life better

and we need to make decisions with them

in mind

and that is how we prevent another

pruitt i go

[Music]

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