National Public Housing Museum

I found an article through the NCPH on an unusual new museum that's due to begin construction in 2013. It's the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago, and it's going to be the first museum in the country on the subject. It's being built in the only remaining former Jane Addams home (built in the 1930s), so it will actually utilize some old public housing. They're going to restore some of the apartments to tell the stories of families who lived in Chicago's public housing at various points in the 20th century. They've done oral histories with some of these families in order to research their experiences, design the recreated apartments, and acquire artifacts. Here is a video the museum's created with 3D laser scanning (it also has some old photos of the housing and quotations from former residents which are pretty neat):

The museum says that it "draws on the power of place and memory to illuminate the resilience of poor and working class families of every race and ethnicity to realize the promise of America." I think this is a very interesting concept that could produce a very powerful experience, but it also has the potential to be very controversial. It could draw criticism both from opponents of public housing and those who think resources would be better spent actually helping those who require assistance. It will definitely be something to watch out for in the news (I bet Mike Wallace is excited).