▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁post ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁Great ▁M igration ▁sett lers ▁moved ▁in ▁and ▁created ▁the ▁low - rent ▁" Black ▁B elt ". ▁Urban ▁renew al ▁and ▁public ▁housing ▁projects ▁later ▁replaced ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁sl ums . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁sl ums ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁Near ▁South ▁Side . ▁ ▁Century ▁of ▁Progress ▁The ▁Century ▁of ▁Progress ▁International ▁Ex position ▁was ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁World ' s ▁Fair ▁held ▁on ▁the ▁Near ▁South ▁Side ▁lake front ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁city ' s ▁cent enn ial . ▁ ▁The ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁fair ▁was ▁techn ological ▁innov ation ▁over ▁the ▁century ▁since ▁Chicago ' s ▁found ing . ▁More ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁million ▁people ▁visited ▁the ▁fair , ▁which ▁symbol ized ▁for ▁many ▁hope ▁for ▁Chicago ▁and ▁the ▁nation , ▁then ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁ ▁Modern ▁day ▁ ▁West ▁of ▁Lake ▁Sh ore ▁Drive , ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Near ▁South ▁Side , ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁consisted ▁largely ▁of ▁rail road ▁tracks ▁and ▁inter changes ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁when ▁middle - class ▁housing ▁develop ments ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁community ▁area . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7