Economy
When Public Housing Was Suburban-Style and White
In 1945, Portland made a short film celebrating the low-rise, landscaped Columbia Villa, a public-housing project for white Portlanders.
Welcome to the latest installation of “Public Access,” where CityLab shares its favorite videos—old and new, serious and nutty—that tell a story about place.
Housewives compete to raise the most impressive flower displays. Tow-headed kids trail after the letter carrier on his twice-daily rounds. The friendly local milkman makes his doorstep deliveries. Children’s swing sets fill backyards.