Near North Chicago, originally, was viewed as less than ideal in terms of land and location until William B. Ogden started the mass recognition of lakefront land and essentially put Near North on the map. Subsequently numerous communities arose within Near North ranging from Cabrini-Green to the Magnificent Mile and throughout the hundred years that followed the disconnect of class and race within Near North, it was further strengthened. In the start of the nineteenth century, it was clear that the people in the Western part of Near North faced many obstacles that did not affect the affluent Eastern part of Near North. Between 1830 and 1850, industrialization was a crucial component in the building of Near North influencing the migration of immigrants and establishing communities such as Goose Island. However, in addition to the Irish factory workers that settled in Near North, members of the McCormick family established the wealthy area on the Eastern Side. From then to the 1920’s the divide was established yet not fully solidified until an overt barrier distinguishing the two sides formed when Michigan Avenue Bridge was created. The history and development of Near North side of Chicago reinforced the problematic roles of class and race in the community that led to segregation and crime prospering in the impoverished side.
Ogden’s manufacturing land and bringing the first railroad in 1848 made it possible for many immigrants and merchants to reside in Near North. However as the years followed, this dense population of immigrants and factories that arose from the industrial era brought an intense polluted area known as “Smokey Hollow”, where workers often could not see the sun as a result of smoke being so thick. If the factories were not quarantined in this area, the health hazards of this pollution would not have been so detrimental. In addition to smoke, crime began to increase on the Western side to the point where police officers were afraid to go there. They “preyed on entrepreneurs or anyone else believed to have money” and would threaten them (Death Corner). The extortionist Italian groups that now resided in the area would murder those who did not give the money they demanded. There was no effort made by police to protect the residents of this area as innocent members of the community were immediately condemned by the actions of others and therefore not worthy of protection. With such high poverty levels in one location, crime was prevalent as residents needed to survive. This situation calls into question the role of class on safety and if there were murders on the Eastern side would they have been dealt in the same way.
As the 1910’s passed, and the Italians no longer resided in this area, the Western part of Near North was still crime-ridden and the Eastern side had mansions, extremely wealthy residents, luxurious hotels, and a large shopping district. By the time the Great Depression occurred and passed, the slums were replaced with public housing: Frances Cabrini Homes-Cabrini Green- with the hopes of providing housing for industry workers and veterans returning from World War II. The housing provided hope as it was seen as an “attractive alternative” to the slums that normally housed low- income families (Cabrini-Green). Then in the 1950’s, thanks to the northward migration of Southern blacks, African Americans started populating the Eastern side. Due to the increasing population of people needing public housing, next to the Cabrini Green homes was now the Cabrini Extension. The buildings were often poorly built and difficult to maintain, and the vast number of residents made the community much harder to sustain. As a result, the hope that was originally fostered during the creation of these buildings was destroyed and quickly juxtaposed with the high crime, drug abuse, unemployment, and gang violence.
In addition to the poor quality building, as a result of racial politics at the time, there was no allocated funds that were crucial in the functioning of the building. The funds necessary for “maintenance, social services, and policing” (Reed) were nowhere to be found because of segregation policies that were enforced during the time period. Ironically, more high rises and skyscrapers were built by the Magnificent mile, increasing the wealth and prosperity of those in the Eastern Side. If there was time and money spent on this community, they would have had the potential for a safer and healthier life not burdened by deteriorated buildings. Instead, the residents of Cabrini-Green were set up for failure and heightened the already negative connotation associated with the public housing. The concrete walls that enclosed the housing vastly differed from the rest of the Near North community. Due to poor integration and being surrounded by wealthy areas, Cabrini Green was essentially its own ostracized island within the greater Chicago area. Having poor maintenance, management, and increasing crime rates within such a densely populated area made it difficult for the residents to survive and adapt to the surrounding affluent areas. Without opportunities for success and adequate training to navigate the world around them, Cabrini Green was doomed, leading to its demolitioning in 2000s.
The Cabrini homes presented “artificially constructed communities forming gaps of geographic poverty” (Cabrini-Green). In efforts to fix the increasing crime problems, Mayor Jane Byrne decided to stay in a Cabrini Green complex but did not succeed in rekindling the community that was in place before. After years of controversy amongst the housing, in 1999, Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the “Plan for Transformation” (Cabrini-Green) that intended to knock down all public housing, including Cabrini Green, in attempt to” rehabilitate and/or redevelop public housing in Chicago” (Cabrini-Green). Much like the residents of Cabrini-Green feared, the city would not live up to their promise of adequate housing. Although there is a redevelopment plan that will add numerous housing units, only “30 percent public housing” will be available and the rest will be “20 percent affordable and 50 percent market rate” (Biasco). This is a significantly smaller percentage of public housing and shows how the Eastern side and surrounding areas are striving to increase wealth rather than looking at the needs of the current community.
Throughout Near North’s 100 years of history, starting with slums and a pretty view, gentrification has evolved the neighborhood. The now affluent, low crime community replaced the long running impoverished area of the Western Near North side and removed any diversities in class, race, and socioeconomic status even at the expense of a whole community. A large number of low income individuals who might have lived in Cabrini Green their whole life will have to relocate if the number of these individuals exceeds the 30% of public housing provided in the redevelopment plan. This developmental plan Near North faces fails to consider the people it is covertly forcing out because they do not fit the plan. Thereby, enforcing the problems that occurred in the public housing sections to accumulate elsewhere in Chicago. The divide between Eastern and Western parts of Near North became too substantial and as a result the wealthy West took over.
Works Cited
Biasco, Paul. "Cabrini-Green Redevelopment Plan Includes Over 2,300 Homes." DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.
"The Chicago Crime Scenes Project." : Death Corner. N.p., 25 Sept. 2008. Web. 12 May 2016.
"Log in." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, 2016. Web. 12 May 2016.
"Plan for Transformation." Building Vibrant Communities. Chicago Housing Authority, n.d. Web. 12 May 2016.
Reed, Drew. "The 20 Year Battle to Demolish Chicago's Notorious Cabrini-Green Housing Project." CityMetric. N.p., 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.
Seligman, Amanda. "Near North Side." Near North Side. The Encyclopedia of Chicago, n.d. Web. 12 May 2016.
Ogden’s manufacturing land and bringing the first railroad in 1848 made it possible for many immigrants and merchants to reside in Near North. However as the years followed, this dense population of immigrants and factories that arose from the industrial era brought an intense polluted area known as “Smokey Hollow”, where workers often could not see the sun as a result of smoke being so thick. If the factories were not quarantined in this area, the health hazards of this pollution would not have been so detrimental. In addition to smoke, crime began to increase on the Western side to the point where police officers were afraid to go there. They “preyed on entrepreneurs or anyone else believed to have money” and would threaten them (Death Corner). The extortionist Italian groups that now resided in the area would murder those who did not give the money they demanded. There was no effort made by police to protect the residents of this area as innocent members of the community were immediately condemned by the actions of others and therefore not worthy of protection. With such high poverty levels in one location, crime was prevalent as residents needed to survive. This situation calls into question the role of class on safety and if there were murders on the Eastern side would they have been dealt in the same way.
As the 1910’s passed, and the Italians no longer resided in this area, the Western part of Near North was still crime-ridden and the Eastern side had mansions, extremely wealthy residents, luxurious hotels, and a large shopping district. By the time the Great Depression occurred and passed, the slums were replaced with public housing: Frances Cabrini Homes-Cabrini Green- with the hopes of providing housing for industry workers and veterans returning from World War II. The housing provided hope as it was seen as an “attractive alternative” to the slums that normally housed low- income families (Cabrini-Green). Then in the 1950’s, thanks to the northward migration of Southern blacks, African Americans started populating the Eastern side. Due to the increasing population of people needing public housing, next to the Cabrini Green homes was now the Cabrini Extension. The buildings were often poorly built and difficult to maintain, and the vast number of residents made the community much harder to sustain. As a result, the hope that was originally fostered during the creation of these buildings was destroyed and quickly juxtaposed with the high crime, drug abuse, unemployment, and gang violence.
In addition to the poor quality building, as a result of racial politics at the time, there was no allocated funds that were crucial in the functioning of the building. The funds necessary for “maintenance, social services, and policing” (Reed) were nowhere to be found because of segregation policies that were enforced during the time period. Ironically, more high rises and skyscrapers were built by the Magnificent mile, increasing the wealth and prosperity of those in the Eastern Side. If there was time and money spent on this community, they would have had the potential for a safer and healthier life not burdened by deteriorated buildings. Instead, the residents of Cabrini-Green were set up for failure and heightened the already negative connotation associated with the public housing. The concrete walls that enclosed the housing vastly differed from the rest of the Near North community. Due to poor integration and being surrounded by wealthy areas, Cabrini Green was essentially its own ostracized island within the greater Chicago area. Having poor maintenance, management, and increasing crime rates within such a densely populated area made it difficult for the residents to survive and adapt to the surrounding affluent areas. Without opportunities for success and adequate training to navigate the world around them, Cabrini Green was doomed, leading to its demolitioning in 2000s.
The Cabrini homes presented “artificially constructed communities forming gaps of geographic poverty” (Cabrini-Green). In efforts to fix the increasing crime problems, Mayor Jane Byrne decided to stay in a Cabrini Green complex but did not succeed in rekindling the community that was in place before. After years of controversy amongst the housing, in 1999, Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the “Plan for Transformation” (Cabrini-Green) that intended to knock down all public housing, including Cabrini Green, in attempt to” rehabilitate and/or redevelop public housing in Chicago” (Cabrini-Green). Much like the residents of Cabrini-Green feared, the city would not live up to their promise of adequate housing. Although there is a redevelopment plan that will add numerous housing units, only “30 percent public housing” will be available and the rest will be “20 percent affordable and 50 percent market rate” (Biasco). This is a significantly smaller percentage of public housing and shows how the Eastern side and surrounding areas are striving to increase wealth rather than looking at the needs of the current community.
Throughout Near North’s 100 years of history, starting with slums and a pretty view, gentrification has evolved the neighborhood. The now affluent, low crime community replaced the long running impoverished area of the Western Near North side and removed any diversities in class, race, and socioeconomic status even at the expense of a whole community. A large number of low income individuals who might have lived in Cabrini Green their whole life will have to relocate if the number of these individuals exceeds the 30% of public housing provided in the redevelopment plan. This developmental plan Near North faces fails to consider the people it is covertly forcing out because they do not fit the plan. Thereby, enforcing the problems that occurred in the public housing sections to accumulate elsewhere in Chicago. The divide between Eastern and Western parts of Near North became too substantial and as a result the wealthy West took over.
Works Cited
Biasco, Paul. "Cabrini-Green Redevelopment Plan Includes Over 2,300 Homes." DNAinfo Chicago. N.p., 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.
"The Chicago Crime Scenes Project." : Death Corner. N.p., 25 Sept. 2008. Web. 12 May 2016.
"Log in." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, 2016. Web. 12 May 2016.
"Plan for Transformation." Building Vibrant Communities. Chicago Housing Authority, n.d. Web. 12 May 2016.
Reed, Drew. "The 20 Year Battle to Demolish Chicago's Notorious Cabrini-Green Housing Project." CityMetric. N.p., 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.
Seligman, Amanda. "Near North Side." Near North Side. The Encyclopedia of Chicago, n.d. Web. 12 May 2016.