photography: Courtesy Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative
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photography: Michael Hill
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Built as a string of residences for the burgeoning immigrant population, the Bungalow Belt grew from 1910 to 1940 and now creates a swath 1 to 4 miles deep through a wide range of Chicago's population. The impressive size of the Belt actually helped Charles and Scott. Politicians like a common element that unites a constituency, and the Chicago bungalow weaves a binding thread through a broad range of voters."We've gotten wide political support for the initiative from the mayor's office," says Charles, "largely because bungalows cover the whole spectrum of geography, ethnicities, and demographics." To appreciate the initiative's true impact, one must simply drive a half
hour between entire neighborhoods, deciphering the various ethnicities from the local stores and restaurants, all while seeing the same authentic, historically accurate architecture peppered throughout. Then a homeowner proudly shows you the improvements recently made thanks to the HCBI, and it becomes clear that good architecture and an organization putting individuals in touch with the financial and educational resources needed to make valuable changes are all one needs to build community, whatever the neighborhood's size. | 
