Pruitt Igoe housing is a notorious example of failed public policy of the government. The complex was supposed to put the modernist ideals of Le Corbusier into action; at the time, Architectural Forum ran a story praising the plan to replace “ramshackle houses jammed with people—and rats” in the city's downtown with “vertical neighborhoods for poor people.” It seemed a really compelling solution as it provided the poor labors suitable living quarters with close access to jobs and other urban amenities. However, it proved to be a complete failure and had to be torn down in about 2 decades from its construction.
The city of St Louis was undergoing its own postwar transformations after the 1950’s, to which a project such as Pruitt-Igoe was
The city of St Louis was undergoing its own postwar transformations after the 1950’s, to which a project such as Pruitt-Igoe was