Chicago in 25 Years: World Player or Flyover Rust Museum? (Oak Park: for sale, costs)

[Lookout Kid]

I know the people who hang out on the Chicago board are probably a bit biased, but what do you think the future of our city is? Have mergers, job loss, population loss, and the new dominance of the Sun Belt sealed Chicago's fate as a second-rate town of the future? Or will Chicago continue to be world player into the next century?

(See the poll above)

[Drover]

There is way too much diversity in Chicago's economy for it to become a "flyover rust museum" any time in the foreseeable future. That's why the city is still humming while most other Great Lakes Region cities are struggling to figure out what to do with themselves. Chicago is still the industrial, transportation, entertainment, cultural, financial and services capital of the Midwest, and there's really no other city poised to take over that position any time soon.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Drover

There is way too much diversity in Chicago's economy for it to become a "flyover rust museum" any time in the foreseeable future. That's why the city is still humming while most other Great Lakes Region cities are struggling to figure out what to do with themselves. Chicago is still the financial and services capital of the Midwest, and there's really no other city poised to take over that position any time soon.

I worry more about the Midwest as a region than I do about Chicago. Chicago can continue to be a capital of the midwest, but population loss and struggling businesses could make the Midwest something that's not worth being the capital of. Chicago's global reach is what needs to be nurtured and developed more than anything else.

[crbcrbrgv]

Chicago will continue to be a world player. If Chicago manages to land the Olympics, watch out.

[Drover]

The Midwest is not losing population by sheer numbers, though it has a shrinking population as a percentage of the national population. But agriculture is still huge business here -- let's not forget that this is one of the most prolific agricultural regions in the world -- and the nature of the business means you can't just shift production elsewhere. It will always be here for as long as the ground is fertile, and as such there will always be a clearinghouse where the the inputs (machinery) and output (ag products) needs to be distributed from, processed, bought and sold, where the capital to fund the industry is raised, managed, insured, exchanged, invested, legally protected, etc. Chicago is that place.

[coldwine]

The area immediately outside city limits has grown in population at a pace barely matched anywhere else. Including the sunbelt.

Although I'm really not much of a naysayer or a doom'n'gloom prophet of stupidity like so many people who say this... I do believe that the costs of owning a car and personal transport will continue to rise at such a level that it is no longer feasible. At some point the vast majority of people will have to realize that the solution to pollution, congested roads and the "oil crisis" has existed for about two hundred years now: effective public trans.

Chicago has a grid for that. Chicago has access to the largest reserve of fresh water in the world, a reserve that the immediate areas surrounding point-blank refuse to share with anyone else. Chicago has the grid for public trans to thrive, and Chicago is the place where all the major railroads meet. No, in 25 years Chicago will not be a flyover rust museum, just as it isn't now-- the level of manufacturing in this city is decreasing every year by significant portions.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by coldwine

The area immediately outside city limits has grown in population at a pace barely matched anywhere else. Including the sunbelt.

Although I'm really not much of a naysayer or a doom'n'gloom prophet of stupidity like so many people who say this... I do believe that the costs of owning a car and personal transport will continue to rise at such a level that it is no longer feasible. At some point the vast majority of people will have to realize that the solution to pollution, congested roads and the "oil crisis" has existed for about two hundred years now: effective public trans.

Chicago has a grid for that. Chicago has access to the largest reserve of fresh water in the world, a reserve that the immediate areas surrounding point-blank refuse to share with anyone else. Chicago has the grid for public trans to thrive, and Chicago is the place where all the major railroads meet. No, in 25 years Chicago will not be a flyover rust museum, just as it isn't now-- the level of manufacturing in this city is decreasing every year by significant portions.

I like your optimism. And I actually think a turn away from the automobile would be an incredibly positive development. When I look at the landscape that is built around automobile usage, I cringe... I may sound like a bit of a New Urbanist here, but dense, walkable communities would be great for society. We don't need everything to be high-rise everywhere, but a density like you see in an old suburb like Oak Park--with plentiful park land interspersed throughout the housing--would easily support public transportation usage.

[Avengerfire]

We have been a World Player for over 130 years at the least. I do not see Chicago shriveling away in 25 years.In fact, the competition from the Sun Belt and the decline of other Midwest cities is helping Chicago.

[j33]

If we really want to continue to be a world player, we've got to sort a few things out.

1. Our public transportation system is embarrassing, and the manner in which our politicians dealt with it was mocked by the world press (the economist in particular).

2. The condition of our local press is in disarray. The Sun Times has been descending into tabloid status for years and is laying off staff and its continued existence is in question and the Tribune has a notoriously conservative bent, is part of a media conglomerate, and is weak on local reporting. How many world cities are really one newspaper towns?

3. and this may run counter to my liberal tendencies, but if we want businesses to set up shop in the city of Chicago, we have to realize that everyone is courting them, and while it may be a distasteful affair, we can't ignore that is what is done, and as such we have to give them a good reason to locate here as well.

Currently it seems like we, as a city, are shying away from all three of the above, and that does not bode well for us.

[via chicago]

Chicago has the most balanced and diversified economy in the country. We'll be fine. But we need to continue to improve things to stay a powerhouse on the global stage. Improvement in public transit is key...if roads are clogged and you cant move goods and people from point A to B quickly and efficiently, then you will choke and die.

There was a great article in the Chicago Tribune Magazine a couple weeks ago, talking about the Midwest region as a whole and what it has to do to survive. Chicago has, and always will be by and large, fine. But if the entire region is struggling, that dosen't bode well for us either.
Can the Midwest regain its economic clout? -- chicagotribune.com (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/magazine/chi-mxa0106magglobaljan06,0,3781896.story - broken link)

Whats most disturbing is that areas we have long been leaders in, we are now in danger of falling woefully behind in due to misplaced priorities on the national level. Look at Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab...both have had drastic budget cuts this year. We are losing all the brilliant minds and projects overseas to Europe.
Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory were damaged in the budget fight between President Bush and Congress -- chicagotribune.com
Its extremely disheartening, because these are the areas we should be investing the most in. And once we lose out on the big projects (which guarantee the worlds best scientists filtering in for decades), we mite as well put up for sale signs and close up shop.