Why does the US not build model homes, both in the USSR

• Why not build a model home in the US as in the USSR

In the mid-1950s in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, the social housing complex was built, one to one similar to a typical quarter in any city in the Soviet Union.

Residential complex "Pruitt-Igou" (Pruitt-Igoe) then called the most ambitious project of a residential building in the United States in the postwar period. In the press area of ​​high-rise suburb dubbed, quarter got the first prize in the prestigious competition "Architectural Forum".

"Pruitt-Igou" consisted of 33 11-storey typical residential buildings. The area was designed to accommodate 12 thousand. Man. From the photographs it seems that you are not in the US state, but somewhere in Moscow Cheryomushki ... Architect, by the way, was made by Minoru Yamasaki, who later built, including, and the New York World Trade Center towers.

The purpose of the complex was the decision of the housing problem for young tenants belonging to the middle class. On-site building huts huddled before the poorest Negro, neighborhoods of St. Louis. In the barracks there were no amenities, unsanitary conditions prevailed on the streets. Fighting poverty, the city and state authorities have conceived the construction of new districts in the late 1940s. As a result, the US Treasury has allocated $ 36 million for the construction of a model district in St. Louis.

The opening of the complex took place in 1956 and everything looked rosy. The concept of the quarter was planned to scale across the United States. However, in a year, quarter, began to turn into a ghetto, and residents of the very "middle class" to move out to other areas.

The name of the apartment complex was named after the hero of the Second World War, the black pilot Oliver Pryuita and skinned congressman from Missouri William Igou. On a "50/50" quarter settled both white and black families. Over time, the white families in the quarter grew less. But with the abolition of segregation they disappeared altogether.

On the site of the future model of the poor quarter huddled slums

In comparison with the neighboring slums "Pruitt-Igou" has been a haven for locals - electricity, water, green parks ... people call their homes "pentahausami poor"

Quarter shared between the Negro and the white family

first quarter was prosperous

settlers rejoiced its bright rooms with all the amenities

The apartments were small, but separate

In the yards of residents were held joint celebrations

However, in the mid-1960s, the quarter turned into a ghetto,

Janitors stopped scavenge

The windows no glass

It was necessary to install vandal-proof doors and fixtures

The police began to refuse to come to the area on call

During 1969 due to the high cost of maintaining the city authorities raised the cost of rental housing in the "Pruitt-Igou" three times

Mass non-payment of bills has led ultimately to communal tragedy - in one of the houses due to lack of repair burst sewers

In 1970, the city announced a quarter of a disaster area and began the resettlement of residents. The authorities have decided that it is easier to evict people, than to repair infrastructure

demolition area began in 1972. The first three buildings were blown up

Demolition of the first houses was aired on national television. Frames reflect a failure on the construction of public housing program

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