As the University of Chicago has expanded its property footprint on the South Side, conflicting priorities, land use disputes, and racial tension have characterized a historically fraught “town and gown” relationship with the surrounding neighborhoods. Setting the stage for others to follow, the University was the first higher education institution to embark on an urban renewal campaign of its kind, a topic University scholars and students have written on extensively.
The following narration is not an exhaustive history; rather, it traces the contours of shifting values and priorities that have contributed to the University’s current institutional identity.
Scroll below to follow a visual history of the University’s role in shaping its built environment over its 135-year history.
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