In an era when many decry the failures of federal housing programs, this
book introduces us to appealing but largely forgotten alternatives that
existed when federal policies were first defined in the New Deal. Led by
Catherine Bauer, supporters of the modern housing initiative argued that
government should emphasize non-commercial development of imaginatively
designed compact neighborhoods with extensive parks and social services.
The book explores the question of how Americans might have responded to
this option through case studies of experimental developments in
Philadelphia and New York. While defeated during the 1930s, modern
housing ideas suggest a variety of design and financial strategies that
could contribute to solving the housing problems of our own time.