What social issues did critics say the Plan of Chicago overlooked?

Critics of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, authored by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett, argued that the proposal overlooked critical urban social issues, most notably housing.1

While the plan was celebrated for its visionary approach to infrastructure, traffic congestion, and the preservation of the lakefront as public space, some contemporary critics contended that it ignored the pressing needs of the city's residents. Later observers have further characterized the plan as representing an elitist viewpoint, arguing that its heavy emphasis on order and social control made it too monumental to be considered humane. These critiques highlight a broader shortcoming of the City Beautiful movement, which often prioritized the physical and aesthetic improvement of the urban environment over the direct resolution of underlying social and economic challenges.12