"Before I die, I want to.."

http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to.html

Candy Chang talks about her home in New Orleans and how she used art to grieve over the death of her good friend. One of the comments she makes is about how New Orleans has some of the most beautiful architecture in the world, but also contains one of the highest amount of abandoned properties. Change turns one of these abandoned houses into a giant chalkboard that states, "Before I die, I want to.." and leaves blanks for the community to fill in. This concept of abandoned property brought about the idea of the 'American dream' and what it means to the people of New Orleans. When I think of what the American dream is, one thought that comes to mind is the right to own property. However, if New Orleans has many abandoned properties, what could the 'American' dream mean to many of them? Could it still entail the right to own property?