North Lawndale had a heatwave death rate 10 times higher than South Lawndale. Why? Both neighbourhoods had plenty of poor elderly people living alone and both were overwhelmingly non-white. But in other ways they were different.
North Lawndale was depopulated, an urban desert with vacant lots. Gangs used it as a convenient place to sell drugs. “We used to sit outside all night and just talk,” said one resident. But with bullets flying, that became impossible. Big employers such as International Harvester, Sears Roebuck and Western Electric had moved away and shops had closed. People didn’t leave their apartments because they were afraid of being mugged or burgled. They weren’t used to walking to local shops — and there weren’t many local shops to walk to.
South Lawndale, by contrast, was overcrowded, but as a result it felt bustling — and safe. (The area is now known as “Little Village”.) You could step outside your door any time and there would be folk around. When the heatwave struck, elderly residents were happy to walk into an air-conditioned store nearby and hang out. They felt safe leaving an empty apartment behind. When at home they felt safe opening their doors to the people who came to check on them. In a heatwave, lively streets save lives.
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