It took Gary, Indiana less than twenty years to grow from a fledgling company town to a mini-Chicago. After several decades of prosperity, it took roughly the same amount of time to resemble a post-industrial ghost town. For decades the place known as the ‘Miracle City of the 20th Century’ has been plagued with a series of social, economic, and perceptual problems that is keeping it fighting for its life in the 21st century. In Stagnant Hope, you will see first-hand four decades of Gary’s abandonment and decay as well as what has been proposed to be done about it. While proposals for new development may offer hope for some, persistently negative perceptions surrounding Gary have done little to bring about any sizable positive change.