At that time, already for half a century in Europe, philanthropists, industrialists, and governments had been building homes and communities aimed at improving the health and welfare of low and middle income workers.
The United States remained the only developed Western country without a national legislative and financial commitment to housing.
[3] Palmer selected Tech Flats, an integrated community in east Atlanta, (also known as Tanyard Bottom) to be the location of the Techwood project.
Palmer states that he selected Tech Flats was because his commute downtown from his Brookwood Hills home took him along the edge of it every day.
In his book, Palmer wrote that delivery of a letter from Howell in person to President Roosevelt did the trick to finally secure funding.
In 1942, he directed the Special Housing Mission to the U.K., researching British plans for post-war urban and economic recovery.
Besides his book, Palmer published many articles and speeches on building management, public housing, and urban renewal.