The federal-state program 'Social City' aims to promote neighborhoods with particular development needs. The negative image is both a cause and a consequence of social and urban planning issues and developments in the neighborhood. This downward spiral is intended to be broken by the program. The author approaches the concept of image from an interdisciplinary perspective and demonstrates the effects of the 'Social City' program on the large housing estate of Jena-Winzerla. The study captures the neighborhood's image as assessed by residents using semantic differential analysis and compares it with external perceptions. The program's influence on the image is illuminated through expert interviews. The example illustrates the developments that the 'Social City' program can bring about, but it also highlights its limitations. Against this backdrop, final considerations are made regarding the direction in which developments within the funding program should be steered to sustainably improve the image and adequately support affected neighborhoods.