History

Mr. Alan Voorhees founded the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement in honor of his wife Nathalie in 1978 when he served as dean of the UIC College of Architecture, Arts, and Urban Science. Both were interested in supporting work in neighborhoods. Alan was particularly concerned about economic colonization and the growing divisions by income across our regions.

Since its founding, the Voorhees Center has developed a record and reputation for responding to the technical assistance and research needs of the many community organizations and coalitions in the Chicago area. The memory of Alan and Nathalie and the generosity of the Voorhees family continues to inspire the work of the Voorhees Center.

Janet L. Smith Practitioner in Residence Heading link

In honor of our late co-director, the Janet L. Smith Practitioner in Residence brings professionals who work or have worked in non-profits, academia, and government in the areas of community development and housing policy to the Voorhees Center. In addition to helping with our programming, practitioners interact with students as professional mentors, guest speakers and instructors for courses taught in the Urban Planning and Policy Department.