The humble bungalow is friendly, informal, and tastefully proportioned and detailed. Often with an inviting porch, the bungalow is a social animal, usually nudging the sidewalk and eager to make the acquaintance of strangers. Chicago bungalows are distinctive, a hybrid between Arts and Crafts and Prairie School styles. Usually one-and-a-half stories and built of brick, these homes have horizontal bands of stone trim (the Prairie School influence) and sloping hipped roofs broken by dormers. Entire streets of them were designed and built to create neighborhood harmony.

By saving Chicago bungalows en masse, the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association (HCBA) is strengthening the greater community. Bungalows make up one-third of the housing stock. That’s 80,000 cottages across the Bungalow Belt, a 1- to 4-mile-wide swath running almost 20 miles right through town. By discouraging teardowns and encouraging bungalow appreciation, the HCBA is keeping the community whole.

"In the face of all the development in Chicago, we see neighborhoods that change drastically," says Annette Conti, executive director of the organization. "Now, imagine knowing that your block of bungalows—your entire neighborhood—is going to stay put, that it's not a place that will be torn down."

Lessons from the Bungalow Belt
"As housing costs rise, we focus on programs to ensure people who love their bungalows can afford to keep living in them," says the HCBA’s Annette Conti. She recommends educating people about where to find energy grants and green preservation methods for historic homes.