The concentration of subsidized low-income housing developments isn’t as bad as residents fear: It actually increases property values – at a faster rate than other neighborhoods.
Till-Mobley watches the body of her son, Emmett, being lowered into his grave.
Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images
Examining how COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home orders were implemented in Toronto, Johannesburg and Chicago reveals the impact they had on vulnerable communities.
When schools shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, moms took on the burden of supporting students at home.
AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar
A dispute between the Chicago Teachers Union and the school district over in-person learning has resulted in classes being canceled. An education policy expert explains what is at stake.
It’s been 10 years since Chief Keef became an internet famous rapper with the song ‘Bang.’
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The police, the media and politicians have long objected Chief Keef’s ties to gang violence. But the rapper wrote the playbook for using social media to make a career out of music.
Shelter-in-place measures have made it more difficult for victims of domestic violence to escape from their abusers.
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A change in how witnesses, victims and authorities respond to domestic violence reports paired with limited social services placed victims in a vulnerable position during the pandemic.
Air conditioning cools city residents during heat waves, but also strains the power grid and fuels climate change.
Joanna Poe/Flickr
Climate change is making extreme weather events, both hot and cold, more frequent across the Great Lakes region. Weatherizing low-income residents’ homes is an important way to prepare.
Chicago’s teachers say they are seeking a better deal for their students too.
AP Photo/Teresa Crawford
Research suggests that kids benefit when there are fewer of them in a classroom. But quickly reducing class size can cause new problems as schools scramble to hire new teachers.
A team photograph of the 1919 Chicago White Sox squad, many of whom would be implicated in throwing that year’s World Series.
Heritage Auctions
Up until the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, gambling and baseball had a marriage of convenience. A century later, gambling is again being seen as a solution to the sport’s woes.
Detroit People’s Food Co-op, opening later this year in a food desert, is an example of a community-driven project.
DPFC
Prodded by Michelle Obama and other government leaders, Walmart and other major US retailers vowed to build hundreds of stores in food deserts. What happened?
Contact with nature reduces stress and aggression, one reason scholars say urban green space may reduce violence.
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Some parks reduce violence in the local vicinity. Other parks attract crime. The difference has to do with how these urban green spaces are designed, programmed and managed, experts say.
Airbnb is a growing threat to the major hotel chains.
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The number of Airbnb properties has exploded since its founding in 2008. A hospitality management expert looked at how this has hurt hotels.
Despite being known for high college acceptance rates, Urban Prep Academies recently lost a charter to operate a school on Chicago’s west side.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Urban Prep Academy in Chicago made a name by boasting about its 100% college acceptance rates for graduating seniors. A founding teacher at Urban Prep explains why that statistic is misleading.
Public bikes are meant to complement a city’s existing mass transit network, so the location of docking stations is critical.
MusikAnimal/Wikimedia
Under 10 percent of new Citi Bike and Divvy bike docks are sited where residents suggested using interactive online maps, a new study shows. But that doesn’t mean city officials weren’t listening.
A safety guard watches as parents walk with their children along a safe passage route on the first day of school in Chicago in 2013.
Spencer Green/AP
Following a fatal beating of a student, Chicago started a Safe Passage program in 2009 to ensure students get to and from school safely. Nine years on, how is it working?
Chicago is often invoked in political debates on crime.
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Taking this step may improve the quality of life for vulnerable people and reduce the amount of air conditioning they use, making their neighborhoods less prone to power outages.
Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate, 2004. Stainless steel, 1,006 x 2,012 x 1,280 cm.
Mike Warot/Flickr
Anish Kapoor made “Cloud Gate”, a giant bean-shaped mirror in Chicago. Visitors play with the light in the city and its surroundings, where our future lays.