Chicago

Sometimes you try to put a positive gloss on a situation, but the underlying concerns that cause the need for such spin come back to bite you.  read more »

Read Part 1. Read Part 2.

Time to answer that question: what would a 2016 Olympics meant to Chicago? After looking at the examples of the last two American Olympics, in Los Angeles in 1984 and Atlanta in 1996, I’ve come to some conclusions on how it could have played out in the Windy City.  read more »

Read Part 1

When I asked the “what if” question about Chicago being awarded the 2016 Olympics, it was just prior to the event itself. I noted some possible outcomes of a Chicago Olympics, but eight years beyond that today offers even greater perspective.  read more »

Five years ago, just prior to the announcement by the IOC of who would host the 2016 Olympics, Chicago's bid was assumed to be in a commanding lead.  read more »

I came across a couple of interesting pieces in the last week that had me thinking about the past, present and future of American cities again. After reading them, I felt somewhat upbeat and validated, but also concerned.  read more »

(Note: Last week I was fortunate enough to have an opinion piece written by Ed Zotti and myself published in Crain's Chicago Business. It's on the continuing loss of Chicago's Black middle class, at least as defined by its ability to attract Black college graduates. The article is behind a paywall, but as a co-author I took the liberty of posting it here.  read more »

Back in 2018, I attended and participated in an event called “Tools Toward Market Restoration”, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.  read more »

Does the Chicago White Sox brass read the Corner Side Yard? Don’t know if they do, but they sure seem to be familiar with my work.  read more »

Too often, people interpret population numbers at face value and make a determination of a place’s success or failure based on absolute numbers.  read more »

In 2020, U.S. cities experienced a 30% increase in homicides relative to 2019, with firearms becoming the leading cause of death for children, adolescents and young adults  read more »