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Originally Posted by jcchii
The city's main battery is in hyperdrive while the hood empties out. Hopefully the core will continue to spread and revitalize neighborhoods one by one.
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Right. That's the silver lining. "Progress" in the form of development has marched westward and southward. Hopefully that trend continues. If the projects planned for Hyde Park are all constructed and South Works gets off the ground, the South Side might really start to turn around. And the fact that Emmanuel-- in all likelihood Chicago's next mayor-- has voiced support for an extension of the Red Line suggests he's aware of some of the area's more pressing needs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcchii
And the metro will remain in the 10 million range, making it one of Earth's top 50 urban blobs as seen from space
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Ultimately, the metro is what matters most. That it gained 200k+ over the last ten years is definitely cause for optimism.
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Originally Posted by the urban politician
^ One thing for sure: the cocaine is gone.
No longer is Chicago high off of a false pretense that somehow "the city is back and on the attack!" like it has been for the past 10 years or so.
Time to come back down to earth and look in the mirror.
You simply can't look at New York City's (albeit slow) growth and brush Chicago's losses off as being due to gentrification, preference for suburban living, or taxes, or things of that nature. Chicago was once 1/2 the size of New York, and now it is less than 1/3 and still falling. Who the hell can take pride in that?
I really, genuinely hope that population is discussed at the next Mayoral debate.
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I think you're being a bit over-the-top. No one takes pride in the declining population. The economic reality is that urban poor are a drain on city finances. If they constituted a majority of the 200k who left, the city's economic health will improve. Again, this is different from the moral reality, which unquestionably reflects badly on the city and requires a comprehensive evaluation of the city's engagement with the South Side.
Moreover, as jcchii stated, we're nearly certain that the numbers will bear out a more populous downtown, which is the region's economic engine. And then there's the fact that the region as a whole picked up a couple hundred thousand more residents-- definitely a good sign.