When the government abandons its duty to maintain a certain standard of living, what can be done? This question animates activism and action in countless neighborhoods throughout the United States because large scale action neither depends on the financial nor logistical support of local government.

The Heidelberg Project began in the late 1980s as a way for local resident Tyree Guyton to revitalize a neighborhood razed by neglect. He painted and decorated burnt out houses on his block in Detroit, turning them into individual installations. Soon his neighbors became involved, and most houses on the street were adorned.

Instead of lamenting their lack of power and the lack of government intervention, residents of this neighborhood negotiated a new existence. Instead of wishing for a neighborhood in which they could take pride, they forged one. When some central authority abdicates their responsibility, the best act of protest may be spiteful progress.