The Elixir of Urban Life

In The Economist's survey on Chicago (3.18.06), the writer sounded a cautionary note that cities everywhere should heed:

"In this thicket of predestined failure lie most of the difficulties of the inner city. Mayor Daley and his brothers-in-arms in business are doing their best to tackle it, but their best is unlikely to be enough. The city cannot rely on new migrants for its economic vigor; with a static or shrinking population, it needs productivity gains. But heroic optimism is needed to believe that these will come from the ranks of the unemployed, or most of their children.

"...Chicago, like almost all America's older cities, still faces the prospect of decline, or at best stasis, unless it can find the elixir of urban life -- how to grow richer without growing bigger."

  

There are no comments for this entry.

Post a Comment

Name:* E-mail Address: URL:

Comment*

Please type the word below*

Please leave the following field blank:

*Required fields (your email address will not be published)