Chicago has the fastest growing downtown in the country--again

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by TWAK

Hotels or the airport leased out some space for an apartment complex?
I have always used Midway anyway, so I can't even remember if there are hotels @ O'Hare for the times I have been there.

I believe this is the correct answer:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

as for the O'hare Community Area's growth over the past decade, the O'hare CA includes a small region of residential neighborhoods east of the airport that were annexed into the city of chicago at the same time the airport land was, and to make things easier, it was all lumped together as a brand new CA for the city simply called "O'hare".

over the past decade that area grew from 12,755 residents to 13,418 residents for a change of +663 (+5.2%), which is why it is colored medium green on the map (5-10% growth).

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

without a clear, consistent, and universally applied set of standards that could be used to define "downtown" for given cities, saying that any city has the _____est downtown in the country is a meaningless statement.

^ Maybe there isn't a universal standard for each city, but once again when a radius of 2 miles from city hall was used for 2010 (as I stated before), Chicago way outgrew everybody else then using that same standard.

It's at least some kind of standard that approximates central area population growth. We will see if they do the same for 2020

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Maybe there isn't a universal standard for each city, but once again when a radius of 2 miles from city hall was used for 2010 (as I stated before), Chicago way outgrew everybody else then using that same standard.

It's at least some kind of standard that approximates central area population growth. We will see if they do the same for 2020

yes, as i clearly stated earlier in the thread, that would at least be a consistent standard.

and when it was applied to the 2010 numbers last time around, chicago came out #1! woo-hoo!!!!!!!!

but the headline of the article that started this thread is still mostly meaningless because the study it was based upon did not use a consistent set of standards to define "downtown".

[bilbao58]

Two miles in all directions from City Hall in Houston would be way outside of what is considered "downtown."

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

Two miles in all directions from City Hall in Houston would be way outside of what is considered "downtown."

back when the CB released those "downtown" figures from census 2010, they used several different radii from city hall: 1 mile, 1.5 miles, 2 mile and so on.

if memory serves, the radius that chicago "won" at was the "1-mile from city hall" level.


it'll be interesting to see if they do something similar this time around.

maybe chicago will "win" again!

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

Two miles in all directions from City Hall in Houston would be way outside of what is considered "downtown."

20 years ago the same was true for Chicago.

But the central area has densified so much that such is no longer really the case, except southwest of the Loop where you still have big box stores, parking lots, and a huge green field.

The downtown area of Chicago feels like a mosaic of districts separated by highways, waterways, occasional industrial decay, etc which are slowly being patched together.

Now if only a great transitway that finally tied these areas together (ie Central Area circulator) existed.

[TWAK]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

I believe this is the correct answer:

Ah ok, as soon as he said runways I had to pull up google maps since that's.....hella runways. It's a bit easier to annex things out in Illinois than it is in CA, I take it? It's convoluted AF and cities are at a disadvantage.

[bilbao58]

This is 2 miles out from City Hall. Downtown Houston is considered the central area encircled by the freeways.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by TWAK

It's a bit easier to annex things out in Illinois than it is in CA, I take it?

Maybe it was easier. Chicago hasn't annexed any land since it annexed O'hare back in the 60s. It was all unincorporated land back then, so the process was much simpler.

Chicago is now 100% surrounded by incorporated suburban municipalities, and they're not gonna ever agree to city annexation, so things are now more or less set.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by JManc

What I want to know is how O'Hare grew by 10-20%.

If you look at the map O'hare has that road that connects to an east area. People do live outside of the Airport bounderies. Im not sure there is any housing in the big circle of the O'hare part on that Chicago map other than non residental hotels

sorry for the spelling errors im dictating into my phone

[bnk]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

the 4 CA's of the "greater downtown area" are the loop, near north, near west, and near south.


Community Area - 2010 - 2020 - change

the loop - 29,283 - 42,298 - +13,015 (+44.5%)

near north - 80,484 - 105,481 - +24,997 (+31.1%)

near west* - 54,881 - 67,881 - +13,000 (+23.7%)

near south - 21,390 - 28,795 - +7,405 (+34.6%)
_______________________________________________

total - 186,038 - 244,445 - +58,407 (+31.4%)




(*) at 5.7 sq. miles the near west side includes more land area than most people would generally include in the "greater downtown area". Ashland Ave is one of the city's most major N-S streets and it splits the near west side in two. most would include east of ashland into the greater downtown, but west of ashland, things fall off precipitously, as you cross over into the parking lot moonscape of the United Center area.

east of ashland contains 75% of the near west side's people (~51K of ~68K) and is roughly 3 sq. miles. west of ashland makes up the remaining 2.7 sq. miles and is home to only ~17K. it's a bit of a shame that the near west side wasn't split in two along ashland by the university of chicago a century ago when chicago's CA's first got defined.

Im not super local to downtown news but do visit a lot. Some interesting notes. I thought that the south loop had more residents than that over the last decade. I also thought that the West loop would have been higher in percentage vs being the lowest in % growth. I think the next 10 years the west look will have a larger percent growth because it seems like the west loop only gained real traction in the last years vs the total of ten year measures. Without a doubt the west loop is for sure a going for it place.

So much business growth there esp with all of the proposed new high rises including business and vertical housing. The Old Post office is really going to keep the rate going and all of the other projects.

ESP converting former industrial cold storage meat packing into lofts and offices.


I think it was just the last to join the party and in the future will be a leader in growth. Plus Fulton market is now a huge resturant destination by its self its creating its own center of gravity.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by TWAK

Ah ok, as soon as he said runways I had to pull up google maps since that's.....hella runways. It's a bit easier to annex things out in Illinois than it is in CA, I take it? It's convoluted AF and cities are at a disadvantage.

Annexation as a legal process is fairly easy in Illinois. It’s mostly just a referendum that requires a majority vote as long as the cities share a border.

Cahokia, Alorton, and Centreville in Metro East merged earlier this year in May to found the city of Cahokia Heights.

Of course, obtaining the majority vote in established suburbs is the tricky part, but it has happened. In the past it was usually to access Chicago’s water and sewer system. Nowadays Chicago doesn’t actually want most of the suburbs that would agree to an annexation.

In 1899, the suburb of Cicero was appalled that the other half of town approved an elevated train extension into their neighborhood, so they forced that neighborhood (Austin current pop ~96K) to be annexed to Chicago.

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/ltg/...n-Illinois.pdf

[ChiSoxRox]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

(*) at 5.7 sq. miles the near west side includes more land area than most people would generally include in the "greater downtown area". Ashland Ave is one of the city's most major N-S streets and it splits the near west side in two. most would include east of ashland into the greater downtown, but west of ashland, things fall off precipitously, as you cross over into the parking lot moonscape of the United Center area.

east of ashland contains 75% of the near west side's people (~51K of ~68K) and is roughly 3 sq. miles. west of ashland makes up the remaining 2.7 sq. miles and is home to only ~17K. it's a bit of a shame that the near west side wasn't split in two along ashland by the university of chicago a century ago when chicago's CA's first got defined.

Indeed, the Near West Side is a tale of two areas in the growth rates (note that this map has red=growth, blue=decline):


Source

Ashland is the dividing line right through the "Near West Side" label.

[davee930]

Man, I would love to live in Chicago.

Any other freelancers out there willing to house swap in Vancouver?

[bnk]

Originally Posted by davee930

Man, I would love to live in Chicago.

Any other freelancers out there willing to house swap in Vancouver?

Im sure you could sell your place in Vancouver and still have 3 to 4 times the buying power to a similar home back there.


The extra spending money will make you feel like a millionaire if you are not already.


Or you could live modestly and still get a nice place and retire 10 years earlier than you want. lol



Visit the place in the summer and fall and you will fall in love with it if you have not done so already yourself.

[Peggerino]

Glad to hear Chicago is doing well. If I were to live in the States I'd probably aim for Chicago as it's relatively affordable yet provides an urbanity that only a handful of other much more expensive and seemingly pretentious cities have.

[pianowizard]

But will such growth be dampened by this:

Downtown shootings up 220%, biggest spike in city: ‘People are fed up’

[TWAK]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Maybe it was easier. Chicago hasn't annexed any land since it annexed O'hare back in the 60s. It was all unincorporated land back then, so the process was much simpler.

Chicago is now 100% surrounded by incorporated suburban municipalities, and they're not gonna ever agree to city annexation, so things are now more or less set.

I love it that you included the timeframe when it was annexed, since it's probably one of my favorite parts of "urban" stuff. Was the airport there first or did the city build it after it was annexed? Also, just the fact that the city was able to annex or run an airport. Usually it's the county or some complicated group of stakeholders and special districts.

Originally Posted by galleyfox

Annexation as a legal process is fairly easy in Illinois. It’s mostly just a referendum that requires a majority vote as long as the cities share a border.

Cahokia, Alorton, and Centreville in Metro East merged earlier this year in May to found the city of Cahokia Heights.

Of course, obtaining the majority vote in established suburbs is the tricky part, but it has happened. In the past it was usually to access Chicago’s water and sewer system. Nowadays Chicago doesn’t actually want most of the suburbs that would agree to an annexation.

Would incorporated places actually want to join the city, or is that just something from the late 1800's? Cahokia is well known and it's cool that the area incorporated itself.

[davee930]

Originally Posted by bnk

Im sure you could sell your place in Vancouver and still have 3 to 4 times the buying power to a similar home back there.


The extra spending money will make you feel like a millionaire if you are not already.


Or you could live modestly and still get a nice place and retire 10 years earlier than you want. lol



Visit the place in the summer and fall and you will fall in love with it if you have not done so already yourself.

I don't own anything. Some RC cars and and expert knowledge of Revit. Apparently I can't move to the states because they don't accept construction jobs, and I'm an architectural technologist.

Would gladly move there if I could. If anyone has an American wife they can send me, I would be forever grateful.

By house swap, I mean just a couple weeks or however long. Vancouver is beautiful in the spring and summer! Amazing in the winter if you like rain.

I haven't been to Chicago since 2008. I saw the big round hole for the Spire. How's that going by the way?

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Chicago’s downtown still fastest growing in country, report says
AJ LATRACE NOVEMBER 2, 2021


https://rejournals.com/chicagos-down...y-report-says/

People who can, who have the money, are moving from high crime areas to lower crime areas. Chicago's downtown core and much of the north side, especially near the lake is perceived to be safer than the near west side and much of the south side. Migration from high crime to low crime areas is happening in most cities. People want to be safe. The same thing happened after the collapse of the Roman Empire, when cities became smaller as people move behind the walls of the inner city to be safer, at least until the plague struck, and the cities emptied out again.