What if a suburban downtown became a place where pedestrians ruled and cars were actively discouraged? As it turns out, what looks like normal urban gentrification actually marks the success of one of the most revolutionary suburbs in America. And its approach to development is fast becoming a model across the region—a model even embraced by [Evanston's] urban neighbor to the south, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. — politico.com
3 Comments
it also helps Evanston that they are not in Chicago Public Schools. In the Midwest it is public school districts that drive suburban growth, and the actual or perceived quality of public education available. Middle class families can not afford to send their kids to private school and the charter network is essentially a lottery. The best options for families is to move to a functioning school district that lets every student have access to quality education. Chicago schools were screwed by the Mayor and the deferred pension payments that are now due from the past 5 years. The school is counting on a 7% pay cut for teachers and a massive bailout from Springfield which will not happen. They may have to close schools by January, or lay off 15% or more of the teaching staff making classroom size the largest in the nation.
Smaller towns like Evanston have to keep corruption and ineptitude in line because everyone has intimate knowledge of the community and their leaders.
+++ Peter. That's one of the best and most concise examples of how local politics and public policy can forcefully shape the market for decentralization.
It's an important reminder that curb extensions, street trees, nice paving and bike lanes are useful tools for us in our field --but that design is often merely a line item in a spreadsheet that includes far bigger and more complex factors.
"Those darned cars!" is an easily parroted refrain, but pretty simplistic.
Evanston is served by both the purple line el and metra. It sits directly north of the city which allows for a straight shot to any desirable area in the city all the way to the loop. What is happening there makes sense but it is also easy because the city infrastructure is there. Harder to do say in Libertyville.
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