They don’t need to drive around Chicago. If they drive to the city from Iowa or wherever the fuck they live, a valet can then take their car to a parking facility that isn’t in the middle of an urban neighborhood. When they check out someone can bring it back. It isn’t complicated.

It completely depends on what they are doing. If they are staying downtown and most of their activities are in and around downtown then they don't drive. If they are going in the area to places that aren't easily accessible by public transit of any type (CTA, Metra, etc) then they might rent a car.

As much as I despise unnecessary car usage, to put a blanket statement on all tourists in a place is just ridiculous. I'd say that a big percentage of tourists don't need cars, but there's definitely some who do.

And many people drive into the city from surrounding states, which is why parking is needed. Although they might not be driving around the city, they still need places to put their cars.

Change in foreign born population in the Chicago MSA from 2010 to 2018. The losses of people born in Mexico and Poland is nearly the same as the gains of people from India, China, Nigeria, Philippines, Pakistan, Other Eastern Europe, Vietnam, Jordan, Romania, and Ukraine. There's actually an increase of nearly 17,000 foreign born people from 2010 to 2018 in the Chicago MSA.

1. India: +39,833 people
2. China: +13,499 people
3. Nigeria: +9074 people
4. Philippines: +7331 people
5. Pakistan: +7068 people
6. Other Eastern Europe: +4972 people
7. Vietnam: +4596 people
8. Jordan: +4261 people
9. Romania: +4207 people
10. Ukraine: +3721 people
11. Asia N.E.C: +3413 people
12. Iraq: +3179 people
13. Turkey: +2840 people
14. Moldova: +2743 people
15. Cameroon: +2666 people
16. Canada: +2508 people
17. Ghana: +2483 people
18. Serbia: +2396 people
19. UK: +2389 people
20. Albania: +2103 people
21. Japan: +2041 people
22. Morocco: +1940 people
23. Haiti: +1914 people
24. Malaysia: +1682 people
25. Afghanistan: +1668 people
26. Syria: +1595 people
27. Ecuador: +1474 people
28. Czech: +1460 people
29. Thailand: +1434 people
30. Saudi Arabia: +1348 people
31. Ethiopia: +1330 people
32. Colombia: +1305 people
33. Belarus: +1213 people
34. Kenya: +1138 people
35. Dominican Republic: +980 people
36. Russia: +953 people
37. Burma: +941 people
38. Bolivia: +891 people
39. Venezuela: +850 people
40. Lithuania: +785 people
41. Kazakhstan: +783 people
42. Barbados: +699 people
43. Australia: +645 people
44. Guatemala: +626 people
45. Indonesia: +609 people
46. Other Eastern Asia: +572 people
47. Nicaragua: +537 people
48. Nepal: +505 people
49. Other Western Asia: +476 people
50. Norway: +452 people
51. Korea: +428 people
52. Brazil: +380 people
53. Sri Lanka: +358 people
54. Denmark: +324 people
55. Other South Central Asia: +302 people
56. Liberia: +273 people
57. Sierra Leone: +265 people
58. Oceania N.E.C: +256 people
59. Cambodia: +249 people
60. Other Middle Africa: +233 people
61. Spain: +220 people
62. Austria: +200 people
63. Europe n.e.c: +196 people
64. West Indies: +160 people
65. Belize: +143 people
66. Bahamas: +142 people
67. Other Northern Africa: +121 people
68. Uruguay: +116 people
69. Belgium: +63 people
70. Cabo Verde: +44 people
71. Fiji: +39 people
72. Other Southern Africa: +34 people
73. Uzbekistan: +31 people
74. Panama: +16 people
75. other South Eastern Asia: Unchanged
76. Other Northern Europe: -14 people
77. Kuwait: -20 people
78. Singapore: -36 people
79. Other Northern America: -46 people
80. Other Central America: -64 people
81. Grenada: -65 people
82. Other Western Europe: -66 people
83. Other Southern Europe: -77 people
84. Trinidad and Tobago: -107 people
85. St. Vincent and the Grenadines: -178 people
86. Eritrea: -203 people
87. Bosnia: -230 people
88. Croatia: -233 people
89. Portugal: -235 people
90. Other Eastern Africa: -274 people
91. Other Aus/NZ: -285 people
92. Other South America: -293 people
93. Lebanon: -303 people
94. Dominica: -322 people
95. Guyana: -351 people
96. Armenia: -371 people
97. Other Caribbean: -380 people
98. Chile: -418 people
99. Switzerland: -436 people
100. Netherlands: -494 people
101. Hungary: -522 people
102. Africa N.E.C: -544 people
103. Sudan: -636 people
104. Costa Rica: -638 people
105. Sweden: -656 people
106. Iran: -799 people
107. South Africa: -836 people
108. Honduras: -962 people
109. Other Western Africa: -993 people
110. Argentina: -1033 people
111. Israel: -1058 people
112. Laos: -1061 people
113. El Salvador: -1064 people
114. Yemen: -1179 people
115. Egypt: -1227 people
116. Bangladesh: -1286 people
117. Cuba: -1315 people
118. Greece: -1444 people
119. Latvia: -1537 people
120. France: -1560 people
121. Jamaica: -1802 people
122. Macedonia: -1910 people
123. Bulgaria: -2269 people
124. Italy: -3041 people
125. Peru: -3364 people
126. Ireland: -3638 people
127. Germany: -5287 people
128. Poland: -24,826 people
129. Mexico: -73,773 people

Very good to see those Indian numbers but wow I never knew Hispanics were moving out that much. I just thought the inflow slowed down to a trickle.

Why are we gaining with the UK but losing Poles, Irish, and Germans?

Great find on the numbers, appreciated.

Yes, I'm sure the family from Iowa on a budget vacation to Chicago is going to be paying for a valet and uber everywhere, quickly adding hundreds of dollars to their trip's expenses... do you realize how out of touch with the average American you sound?

I wish people would use public transit more, but the reality is that at least half of this country hasn't used it more than a few times in their life and would be terrified of getting lost in the proverbial "big city". You might be used to life in a city, and I know I am, but I have relatives are from the countryside who are extremely intimidated by even the prospect of going into Chicago for a day, let alone staying there for a vacation and traveling. You just sound ignorant and snooty.

^^^ Lol then they don't get to come to Chicago. The average Iowans ability to afford a valet has no bearing on whether trashing a dense, transit accessible, area with oodles of parking spaces is good urban planning.

Poles are moving out because the economy in Poland is doing as well as it has in 100 years and, due to the Euro, dollars earned in the US go an awfully long ways there. I have seen numerous elderly poles that were tenants of mine up and leave to return home and be with their families in retirement.

That and the foreign born inflows of poles tailed off 20 years ago so most people of Polish descent were born here and the now elderly foreign born are slowly dying off.

The West loop is the single hardest neighborhood in Chicago to park in right now. I am generally opposed to adding so much parking but I think the area needs more parking somehow. A highrise public garage or two could help and maybe mitigate the need for developers to add so many spaces as is the case here.

Pretty much. Also, the NYC area has lost over 15,000 Polish born people since 2010 as well. Percentage wise, that's a loss of 1.3% versus the 1.6% for Chicago - similar in that regard.

Yikes... What was that other forum Harry mentioned a few weeks ago?

In order for the West Loop to become a destination—which it already is, like it or not, it has to have at least some more off street parking. A few big garages wouldn’t hurt.

The transit element will always be there. Uber/Lyft, etc etc will always be needed. It’s about multimodal. But you have to have some parking.

I live in the West Loop with a Fulton address. There are a number of public garages in the area that are COMPLETELY underutilized, especially on the weekend when visitors are most likely to use them. Just as an example, the public garage at Fulton and Union is always (ALWAYS!) at least half empty on nights and weekends. My family from out of state and local Chicago friends visiting me always use this garage, and not a single time has it been a problem in 8 years.

Parking in the West Loop is all over the place, IF you know where to find it. I don't think it's a matter of availability, but more so an issue of knowing where to go. It's such a new neighborhood, not everyone knows where all the garages are. And the ones that do exist, admittedly, don't have great signage. Additionally, just looking at apps like SpotHero or ParqEx, there are tons of spots all over up for grabs.

But, if you just have to park on Randolph, on the very same block as the restaurant you're visiting ... good luck. I know some people are unable to walk far due to medical conditions, etc. as my mom is one of them. But it's really not hard at all to find reasonable parking within a 10 minute walk of most places. If 10 minutes is too far, park close and Uber/taxi the rest of the way for $5.

My apologies for the rant, but the last thing the West Loop needs is more parking that goes underutilized 90%+ of the time.

No. Underground, maybe. None of the nation's most successful/productive urban places got that way through parking.

Maybe you should go to that forum is you can't handle being told that providing parking, which destroys the city for residents, just so visitors can feel more at home with their transportation choices is rediculous.

I think there is an argument that parking is tighter a little farther west but yea everything that went up in the last 15 years with a parking garage is underutilized, especially nights and weekends. I lived in the area for a number of years and worked there for over a decade. Paid parking is still very available within a couple blocks of a given destination and all the office buildings going up have parking that sits empty when hotels and restaurants are full that can and is being used for valet operations if a person absolutely has to get out of their car right in front of the destination.

The idea of adding high rise stand alone structured parking is insane and not at all required. I'm also not inclined to require hotels to include any parking whatsoever, as long as they can secure valet space in underutilized lots/structures which are abundant, just to placate condo owners perceptions.

Hardly my issue with your disposition... I don't want there to be parking lots, podiums and garages everywhere. You lack tact, arrogance, ignorance, snootiness, classism and pride of such putrid beliefs are what have done me in here. Anyway, I'm out.

See y'all

- Bonobo out

edit: updates will be hosted via SkyriseCities now

I drive to chicago every year but I NEVER take my car into downtown. This year I dumped it off at a Park & Ride out by Ohare and took the blue line in. Saved $200 and a ton of frustration.

Millions of people in the UK live in places where a car is necessary to get around, but very few are stupid enough to drive when they visit central London. Park it at a Metra station on the outskirts and take the train into town.

It's now arrogance to flatly state that "Famlies from Iowa have no right to avoid valet at the expense of Chicagoans"...

Got it...

FYI, my inlaws are all from Iowa, so I actually deal with this exact scenario IRL.

I was actually at the meeting for 800 W Lake, the developers are indeed talking to valet companies to handle their parking needs. When the cost of parking downtown is set at the true cost, and not a cost arbitrarily subsidized by developers, it’s amazing how many people will find alternative ways to get around.

I agree that Fulton Market probably needs more parking... but I see nothing wrong with letting the free market provide it. That leads to a far more efficient use of limited space.

If Sterling Bay wants to build 6 floors of parking for daytime office tenants, let them... but if 800 W Lake doesn’t want to provide on-site parking, they shouldn’t have to. After all, Sterling Bay just built six floors of parking a block away that are empty on nights and weekends during peak restaurant times!

My bigger concern is the impact on traffic if parking supply continues to increase. The city can’t afford expensive projects to add capacity in West Loop, and should be focusing limited dollars on transit and fixit projects. Even a big program to signalize intersections in the West Loop could run into 9 figures...