Explore American cities with free, self-guided audio tours that uncover the history of housing segregation. Learn about the tools and policies that shaped urban landscapes through walking tours with informative stops.
2.3
September 14, 2026
Added new content and small improvements.
Rooted Forward is a student-run nonprofit that creates free, self-guided audio tours focusing on the history of housing segregation in American cities. The first available walk is in Hyde Park, Chicago.
The app uses walking tours with thirteen stops and optional detours, detailing tools like restrictive covenants and redlining that built American housing segregation. Red plates at each stop name these historical tools.
Yes, more cities are being researched, and new walks will be added to the app as they are completed by the student researchers.
Rooted Forward is currently supported on iPhone devices.
Rooted Forward has an age rating of 12+, making it suitable for younger users interested in historical education.
Yes, Rooted Forward is completely free to download and use, with no in-app purchases or advertisements.
Rooted Forward was last updated on August 20, 2026, with version 1.1.
Based on the available data, Rooted Forward has a perfect rating of 5.0 stars from one review, indicating very positive user sentiment.
