The main topic of this this thesis is community based public housing, meaning that this project focuses on the communal aspects of public housing and how they can be incorporated into a building in order to create a more welcoming and enjoyable living space. In addition, this thesis asks the question of how these community spaces can affect the people living and working in and around this building and the neighborhood as a whole. Problems stemming from a lack of community within residents has caused the major negative aspects that have been seen time and time again with public housing buildings. The main idea is that by providing these residents with adequate spaces of gathering, they will be able to better connect with one another creating a friendlier and more inviting environment. The thesis itself is broken up into two main sections, each having their own specific parts and important aspects of the project. The first section is the research portion of the project. Over the course of four months, extensive research was conducted so that I could gain a better understanding of how public housing works and the part it plays in cities for both myself, and you as the reader. To do this, the research was broken down into five pieces which all come together to support the thesis idea. The second section is the design phase. The design phase also takes place over four months and uses the research portion of the thesis to create a building that reflects the entirety of the research. The two separate sections then come together to provide an answer to the thesis that captures every aspect within. Research into this topic was conducted in several steps. Research began with a thorough look into the history of public housing in America. Its successes, its failures, and everything in between. Following that was research into how residents behaved in public housing buildings and its reactions to the surrounding community. Case studies of individual buildings of this project typology were then analyzed to see how designers have tackled some of the failures that exposed themselves over time through public housing. Lastly studies of the proposed site and the code requirements for the area were conducted to understand the neighborhood and the restrictions that the city might have when building in a particular location. Research from the design side of this project lead to a deeper look into buildings located within the nearby area of my site. Construction types were also studied in order to find the best way to construct a building that needs to be cost effective, resilient, and aesthetically pleasing. The main goal of this research was to help answer the main question of this thesis and to better understand how to do so.