St. Louis was transformed by the processes of concentration and deconcentration which related to the times and people’s social status. Concentration was evident through the distribution of the population. The lower and middle class people were placed into one area, close to the city and their workplaces. This was a form of exclusion of a part of the population from the rest of the city. Deconcentration took place in a type of urbanization.
People were moving away from the city to have their own home with a backyard and a front lawn which provided for space and light. At the same time, people who gained some resources were moving away from the city, thus causing a deconcentration of the work force and the general population. As the amount of people was decreasing, social programs and housing projects started to get abandoned and forgotten.
Pruitt Igoe was a part of the Urban Renewal Act which is evident through the examination of several factors. The primary one was to rebuild the slums and make sure that people had proper living conditions. Previously, the environment was very unsafe and unsanitary for people. Children had no place to play and spend time at.
The project was meant to enable people to have proper housing and playgrounds. The fact that the buildings were located close to the center of the city provided for easy access to factories, stores and social services. As the society and the government of a nation have a key role in a city, the general values of a large group of people are aligned with those of individuals and communities. Physical features of the housing play a significant role in the environment and the movement of people.
Pruitt Igoe failed for several reasons; the two major ones are the isolation of the location, and the second one is people losing jobs, and the city becoming demographically unstable. Isolation happened due to the decentralization of the building and architectural flaws. People became secluded from the rest of the population and as such, the area started to receive bad reputation within the city.
The level of security started to go down which resulted in people moving out and abandoning the projects. The second reason was related to people losing jobs and being unable to pay for rent. This led to the worsening of conditions, deterioration of basic services and general living conditions. Plumbing and fires became a common occurrence, and people were forced to leave.
The movie is titled “The Pruitt Igoe Myth” where “myth” relates to the unresolved problems, and people’s inability to clearly identify the factors that led to the deterioration. In the beginning of the construction, people have dreamt that it will be a perfect place to live. After the buildings were complete, it did become a dream life for many, but it did not last very long. Even though it was meant to provide a better life for people, it turned out to be a myth because a building alone cannot make sure that people have a better existence.
The housing was only a framework, but many conditions that were necessary in the support of the environment depended on the people and the city. As such, the population and the government could not manage the worsening state of affairs, and the project became a myth.