The Fall (and Rise) of Public Housing

W00-7: The authors argue in this paper that the reengineering of failed inner city public housing projects that is underway is one of the most important and positive developments in urban America in many years. It is its own distinct story, but it is also linked to a broader process of reforming failed public systems, like welfare and public schools, that have had a disproportionately negative effect on life in urban neighborhoods. The early evidence is that the newer developments, which in many cases are replacing high rise projects for the poorest of the poor with mixed income developments, are not only better for the residents but are opening up larger redevelopment opportunities that were formerly unthinkable…