The Cost of Segregation

Billions in lost wages. Thousands of young people without the education they need to fulfill their potential. Hundreds of lives cut short by violence. These are among the steep costs all of us in the Chicago region pay by living so separately from each other.

New release Phase II: Roadmap for the Chicago Region

Photo by Yooperanne

The Metropolitan Planning Council, together with Urban Institute and a team of policy advisors, lead a groundbreaking, two-year research and policy initiative that revealed segregation costs the Chicago region billions in lost income, lost lives and lost potential each year. In other words, if metro Chicago were less segregated, it could see $4.4 billion in additional income each year, a 30 percent lower homicide rate and 83,000 more bachelor’s degrees.

Phase I: The Steep Cost of Segregation Everyone deserves an opportunity to earn a living—and the economy is better off when everyone participates in it. Yet, not everyone in the Chicago region has the same pathway to economic success. Read phase I »
Phase II: A Roadmap for the Chicago Region Uprooting our legacy of segregation and accelerating change. We have identified multiple paths forward so that everyone living in our region can participate in and create a stronger future. Read phase II »
Metropolitan Planning Council 140 S. Dearborn St.
Suite 1400 Chicago, Ill. 60603 P 312 922 5616 F 312 922 5619 info@metroplanning.org
Shaping a better, bolder, more equitable future for everyone

For more than 85 years, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has partnered with communities, businesses, and governments to unleash the greatness of the Chicago region. We believe that every neighborhood has promise, every community should be heard, and every person can thrive. To tackle the toughest urban planning and development challenges, we create collaborations that change perceptions, conversations—and the status quo. Read more about our work »

Donate »