Introducing the National Public Housing Museum

The planned National Public Housing Museum, expected to open in 2021, will draw attention to a highly contested subject and connect to the relevance provided by contemporary anxieties about housing.

1 minute read

December 5, 2019, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Chicago, Illinois

Jane Addams Memorial Park in Chicago. | James Andrews1 /

Zach Mortice reports on the organizational principles behind the National Public Housing Museum, expected to open in 2021 on the Near West Side of Chicago.

Mortice's sources for insight into the creation and expected direction for the museum include Crystal Palmer, a former public housing resident and vice chair of the museum's board, and Lisa Lee, the museum’s executive director.

The museum, which is expected to be unabashedly activist, will be located inside the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes, built in the 1930s.

"It took 10 years of administrative wrangling to get the building from the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), and the museum hopes to open in 2021,"according to Mortice. "Since 2010, however, it has been mounting exhibitions at a variety of other venues."

A lot more about the design of the museum, and its expected exhibitions, can be found in the source article.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Two yellow and white Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail streetcars at station in Dallas, Texas.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region

At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

April 3, 2025 - KERA News

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Canada geese sitting on shore of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.

How Community Science Connects People, Parks, and Biodiversity

Community science engages people of all backgrounds in documenting local biodiversity, strengthening connections to nature, and contributing to global efforts like the City Nature Challenge to build a more inclusive and resilient future.

April 13 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13 - Inside Climate News

Close-up on cardboard sign reading 'No Kings' being held up at protest at Tesla offices in Brooklyn, New York.

Dear Tesla Driver: “It’s not You, It’s Him.”

Amidst a booming bumper sticker industry, one writer offers solace to those asking, “Does this car make me look fascist?”

April 13 - The Globe and Mail