Urban Geography: How to Save Chicago

It's safe to say that this is one mission of Rahm Emanuel as he had just completed his first 100 days in office. This article is worth your time. While the writer - Daniel Jelski - seems a bit dour at least he noted one prominent example and it involves in part our part of Chicago's far south side:

My wife and I inadvertently got off the Skyway one exit too soon and wound up driving down 87th St. to Stony Island. This is a thriving, middle-class Black neighborhood. Every storefront was occupied, and there was no graffiti! (Unlike graffiti-scarred Rome, which we also recently visited.)

If they continue further west they probably would've discovered how far the lack of graffiti went. Here's a condensed version of what Jelski is looking for:

So get Chicago open for business. Lower sales taxes. Ensure public safety downtown and in the neighborhoods. Invest a little in mass transit. Give up just a bit of the parking revenue. Chicago is a great tourist and shopping destination, better than Rome in every way except ruins. Allow your citizens to cash in before Chicago itself becomes a ruin.

Read on for more details. What do you think needs to be done to save Chicago?

Hat-tip Newsalert!