Significance in History
Taken out of its historical context, the failure of Pruitt-Igoe has been simplified, causing the reactions to not truly address the issue. Ignoring a changing population, a failing economy, federal and local policy flaws, poor maintenance, bad construction, crime, and site selection, Pruitt-Igoe’s implosion has come to represent the death of Modernism, the end of the high-rise in public housing, and the belief that the poor will tear up anything you give them. These scapegoats have influenced how we choose to help the poor in our community and country.
"The history of Pruitt-Igoe is complex but has too often been told as a simple story."
-Jody Sowell, public historian- Missouri History Museum
-Jody Sowell, public historian- Missouri History Museum