These photographs record the activities and the selected-site context of this architectural design competition, sponsored by the Chicago Housing Authority and the National Endowment for the Arts.  A jury selected an architect to design one city block of housing in the ABLA neighborhood on Chicago’s near west side.  Once completed, the development will encompass a mix of public housing, affordable housing and market-rate housing.  Occupants will come from diverse income groups, and all housing will be physically indistinguishable across income lines.  The visionary ideals embodied in the competition created a fascinating atmosphere for investigating and documenting an important historical moment.  A book about the competition is slated for publication in 2002.

“These pictures are witness to the end of an era, and the possibilities indicated by a new one.”