[Maps of Chicago Urban Renewal Projects]

Plans to reinvigorate blighted areas across Chicago during the 1960s.

This collection of maps was issued by Chicago’s Department of Urban Renewal in 1967 to highlight the organization’s ongoing efforts to eliminate blight and improve living conditions across the city. A series of colorful, large-scale sheets outlines proposed conservation projects in Southeast Englewood, Lincoln Park, and the Near West Side. Two further maps of the entire city outline the various redevelopment works, established conservation areas, study areas, loan and grant areas, and more.

Established in 1962, Chicago’s Department of Urban Renewal (DUR) focused primarily on “slum clearance” and land redevelopment, often prioritizing the demolition of blighted areas over neighborhood conservation. Backed by federal funding and the power of eminent domain, the department facilitated massive infrastructure projects, including the construction of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus and high-density public housing like the Robert Taylor Homes.

These initiatives disproportionately targeted low-income minority communities, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of families and earning the program the bitter nickname “Negro Removal.” While the city touted these efforts as modernization, they often resulted in the destruction of tight-knit neighborhoods and intensified racial segregation across the South and West Sides.

Sources: Near West Renewal Project (UIC); Chicago Public Library;