Chicago is renowned for its innovative city planning and its architecture; indeed, the first skyscraper in the world was built here in 1885, and masterpieces created by architects such as Louis Sullivan, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright continue to define the landscape of the city and its older suburbs. Yet the celebrated "Plan of Chicago," written by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett in 1909, and the wealth of the buildings that line its "Magnificent Mile" contrasts with the complicated legacy of public housing politics and urban renewal programs that restructured Chicago's South Side. Urban historians have extensively documented the poor quality of public housing buildings and the devastating effects of the displacement of residents.

More recent redevelopment of these infamous housing projects continues to raise conflicts over neighborhood change. Yet the mixed legacy of urban change has also prompted political and social action. Urban development, economic growth, and the plight of neighborhoods have been key issues in mayoral campaigns and administrations. Activism is alive and well through numerous civic and community-based organizations. Major foundations and universities play an on-going role in local development dynamics. And the traditional neighborhood-based political structure continues to function within a growing state-wide and regional development context.