With the Second City experiencing a 7% decline in the population over the past decade, the newly elected Mayor Rahm Emmanuel must adapt to a suburban-dominated environment.
Ironically, the new Mayor is the first mayor of Chicago to grow up in a suburb. He faces major challenges according to Dennis Byrne.
"But Emanuel faces the deeper economic and political challenges of increasing suburban dominance. Chicago will become a smaller player on a bigger stage. The suburbs, including vast new landscapes in McHenry, Kendall and Will counties, will compete with Chicago and consume increasing amounts of the region's and state's resources... Mutually assured destruction or coexistence will be Chicago's ultimate choice in the city/suburban 'cold war.'
A real "back-to-the-city" movement would require Emanuel - and city planners - to examine what city emigrants seek in the suburbs. Not just better schools and safety, items that top Emanuel's priority list. There's more: space, freshness, local libraries, neighborhood schools."
FULL STORY: Wanted: The suburbanization of Chicago
The Crucial Role of Suburban Voters in the Midterms
Suburban voters were instrumental in preventing a 'red wave' on Election Day and on December 6 in the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff election, enabling the Democrats to win a 51st Senate seat.
Chicago Suburbs Luring Back Major Employers
As more workers move away from the central city due to high costs and remote work opportunities, companies that once relocated downtown are eyeing Chicago’s suburbs once again.
No Slowdown of Out-Migration of Black Residents from Chicago
The city of Chicago continues to see a decline in population, including tens of thousands of African-Americans who have left in recent years.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.
Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.
Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
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