Rebirth of Bronx housing project aims to cut crime

New York

SOON after they opened in the mid-1970s, the Lambert Houses near the Bronx Zoo in New York City were praised as an innovative example of low-income housing, with urban planning experts cheering the complex for shattering the stereotypes of subsidised housing.

Today the owner sees them as outdated and poorly designed, starting with a layout that has made it easy for thieves and drug dealers to come and go.