The Barcelona waterfront was once an industrial area, but now offers beaches, restaurants, and harbors.
In early June, I spent an incredible few days in Barcelona, Spain as a member of a delegation of government officials, policy advocates, researchers, and civic leaders invited by the Brookings Institution and hosted by ESADE. In a setting steeped in beauty and rich in innovation, our task was to explore emerging strategies for delivering the "next economy." We were fortunate to hear from some of the best economic minds in Spain and the European Union. I was struck by Chicago and Barcelona's many similarities, including that both are experiencing historic, and orderly, mayoral transitions. I also discovered that the capital of the Mediterranean has much to teach the capital of the Midwest about what it will take to secure our economic future. While these insights are fresh in my mind, I…
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Authored with Breann Gala, MPC Research Assistant
In light of the housing crisis and recession, municipalities have looked beyond conventional tactics to more efficiently and effectively tackle the many challenges facing their communities. One such innovative strategy, interjurisdictional collaboration, is being supported by funders and communities across the Chicago region as a creative way to address issues such as the foreclosure crisis, multifamily housing preservation, and community stabilization. In May 2011, The Chicago Community Trust (the Trust) approved a third year of funding for the Chicago Southland Housing and Community Development Collaborative and the West Cook County Housing Collaborative to maintain a coordinator dedicated to each sub-region’s housing needs.…
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There are many wonderful urban farms in our region. Places like Eden’s Place in Fuller Park, organizations like Growing Power, and resident-driven efforts such as the Bush Community Garden of Hope are leading the way. These local agriculture efforts are serving several goals: creating access to healthy foods, improving health, educating residents, reclaiming vacant land, and providing job training and employment opportunities. However, if you ask the urban farmers and community-based organizations driving these local initiatives, you will hear a range of stories about how hard it is to get it done. From prohibitive zoning codes and landscaping ordinances to cost- and time-intensive environmental clean-up measures, growing in urban environments can be tough.
This is why the Center…
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