It has been over 40 years since the demolition of Minoru Yamasaki’s Pruitt-Igoe housing complex in St. Louis and the subsequent decline of state-led housing initiatives. The buildings fell on March 16, 1972, what came to be called “the day Modern architecture died.” It is symbolic also of the wider abandonment of public projects as a viable solution to housing for all.
Today, a combination of public and private stakeholders are struggling to fill the void. In this year’s developers feature, The Architect’s Newspaper investigates housing development in four cities across the United States that are confronted with these issues: New York City; Chicago, Illinois; Austin, Texas; and San Jose, California. Also, Matt Shaw talks to four developers in New York about integrating design and community in their business models.
Browse through the feature articles below.
Near the end of his final term as mayor, Michael Bloomberg unveiled a proposal to shore up the finances of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) by allowing developers to build mostly market-rate apartment towers at eight public housing campuses in Manhattan. While the plan would supposedly generate $50 million-a-year for the cash-strapped agency, it was met with swift and stinging criticism, and a lawsuit from the New York City Council and a coalition of NYCHA residents. Bloomberg’s land lease proposal was further derailed by the politics surrounding it: A billionaire mayor letting developers bulldoze grassy plots and basketball fields at public housing developments for expensive new apartments. One of the most vocal critics of the proposal was Bill de Blasio, the progressive public advocate gunning for Bloomberg’s job. But about a year-and-a-half after becoming New York City’s chief executive, de Blasio has revived the proposal, albeit with some significant changes.
“The Times Square of the South Bronx” is an apt moniker for a place more commonly known as “the Hub”. Situated at the crossing of subway lines, bus routes, and major thoroughfares, the Hub is one of the busiest commercial districts in New York City. The corner of East 149th Street and Third Avenue constitutes the center of this half-mile, spoke-like network of traffic arteries that radiate into the Melrose and Mott Haven neighborhoods. You cannot stand in one place here: Hordes of commuters boarding buses and entering and exiting narrow subway entrances sweep you along. Street vendors occupy much of the sidewalk selling everything from sunglasses to sodas. Salsa music blares from curbside radios and the heavy smell of food being fried at street stands wafts through the air. On a weekday afternoon in June, virtually all passersby were Hispanic or African American, and a great many were wearing jeans and sneakers. No hipsters were apparent, and no one was wearing a suit.
In March, after months of debate behind closed doors, Chicago’s City Council voted overwhelmingly to overhaul the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO), a key tool meant to encourage the private development of affordable housing in a city where the waitlist for public housing continues to grow.
Austin is booming. Previously an academic and legislative backwater, the Violet Crown is now consumed by a tidal wave of condominiums and hotels. Fueled by tech companies, tourism, and annual events like SXSW, the city is overflowing with newness. Each week sees the opening of a new restaurant, the announcement of a new development, or, worse, the shuttering of a longtime local institution. An economic frenzy is exciting, but also presents serious issues of affordability. With over 900,000 residents—and a metropolitan population nearing 2 million—Austin welcomes an estimated 70 new residents daily. Where will these new citizens live?
In June, the California Supreme Court ruled to uphold the City of San Jose’s affordable housing ordinance. In one unanimous decision, the court underscored what Bay Area residents already know: housing is expensive and in short supply, and that scarcity puts pressure on Californians at all income levels. Developers in San Jose now must include affordable units. The case, a benchmark for citizens, architects, and developers interested in the social impact of design, dates back to 2010 when the City of San Jose enacted an inclusionary housing ordinance that required new residential developments with more than 20 units to offer a percentage of units for sale at prices within reach of low to moderate households. Before the ordinance could take effect, California Building Industry Association (CBIA) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court to block it. By ruling in favor of San Jose, the court dismissed a challenge that could have impacted the 170 California municipalities with active inclusionary zoning programs.
As part of the AN developers feature, Matt Shaw interviewed representatives from four developers who are innovating in New York and elsewhere using alternative models for development. These perspectives offer new ways forward as the architecture and business communities work together to find new design, housing, and community-oriented solutions to our 21st century urban issues.