A Brief History of Living Together

Chapter 2 establishes the urban context in which the dynamics described in subsequent chapters unfolded. The chapter begins with a description of the prevalence and quality of crime, gang activity, and violence in Rogers Park and Uptown. It then offers a historical overview of urban change from the neighborhoods’ early history through racial integration and up to the arrival of gentrification and the present moment. The chapter ends by describing the neighborhoods’ contemporary political fields, including the main actors and community organizations that formed the public safety and antigentrification camps.