Crime imposes an immense burden on cities, taking its toll in higher policing costs, lower property values, fewer job opportunities, and reduced overall quality of life. High and rising rates of crime are often cited as reasons for businesses not to locate to ... More »
In the 1980s, churches across the United States sought to provide shelter for refugees fleeing violence in El Salvador and Guatemala. The U.S. supported the regimes of these countries, and it did not want to provide political asylum to their refugees. Neverthe... More »
Chicago’s history of low-income housing policy is complex. The Chicago Housing Authority used to manage 17 large housing projects for low-income residents, but during the 1990s, due to high crime, poverty, drug use, and corruption and mismanagement in the proj... More »
During the 1960s, the Johnson administration sought to address civil disorder and calm race riots as part of its War on Poverty. In pursuit of that goal, it established the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP), which funded local legal agencies through f... More »
Chicago is well known for its food culture, from Harold’s Fried Chicken to deep dish pizza to ‘Chicago-style’ hot dogs. It is difficult to spend time in this Midwestern city without spotting a sausage stand and developing a fondness for the many uniquely Windy... More »
Chinese immigration to the United States often evokes images of Chinatowns, featuring Lunar New Year Parades, dim sum restaurants housed in pagodas, and storefronts featuring herbal remedies or porcelain goods. Cities have long been gateways for new immigrants... More »
A home is an invaluable space, providing not only physical shelter but also psychological sanctuary and security. In January 2017, the National Alliance to End Homelessness identified 553,742 homeless individuals living in the U.S. Housing instability causes n... More »
When wealthy new residents move into lower-income neighborhoods, they often renovate homes and open upscale businesses. This drives up property values, property taxes, and rent. This chain of events may force current lower-income residents to move out. Gentrif... More »
Violence may be a complex, wicked problem. Solutions to it are not necessarily true or false, just good or bad. It is a symptom and cause of other wicked problems like poverty, unemployment, education and social inequality—the topics worthy of “policies.” To s... More »
Early childhood lead poisoning has been linked to detrimental effects on cognition, academic performance, IQ, high school graduation, and even adult earnings. In many countries, laws prohibiting the use of leaded gasoline have reduced lead exposure, but many c... More »
With stagnating wages and declining entrepreneurship across the United States, state and local governments are under increasing pressure to deliver economic good news. Cities are in constant competition, dedicating considerable time and resources to business i... More »
Campaigns to introduce what activists call “fair fares” on mass transit systems have recently taken root in U.S. cities. The idea behind these initiatives is to introduce a pricing system that is less regressive in order to promote equity for low-income riders... More »