Coordinating Public Schools, Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization

"Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Housing Authority have joined with a host of universities, foundations and think tanks in an ambitious effort to overhaul 25 schools and transform a blighted swath of the city's South Side." Mayor Richard Daley played a role in encouraging the Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Public Schools "to coordinate their efforts to rebuild the area." Other partners for the effort include the University of Chicago, the MacArthur Foundation and others. "Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) said the physical rebuilding of the South Side--with new water mains, housing and sidewalks--cannot create a strong neighborhood without strong schools. 'Communities are tied together by schools,' Preckwinkle said."