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Chicago & the Midwest

Cities around the world charge to drive in certain downtown areas. Could Chicago follow?

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ChicagoGlobal by Nicole L. Cvetnic

Hailed as a way to reduce traffic and pollution and to improve city transit systems, cordon pricing exists in several cities around the world. Could it work in Chicago?

Traffic on I-90 with a Metra commuter train crossing overhead
AP Photos
Global Cities

2023 Highlight Reel

Video Series
Featured Video

Thanks to all who were part of our community in 2023! Enjoy this highlight reel of the past year of connections and convenings.

Council President Sarah Gilbert speaks before a crowd at the 2023 Council Community Open House. Culture

How pedestrian malls are revitalizing downtowns around the world — and helping Chicago's Loop (again)

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ChicagoGlobal by Isaiah Reynolds

The decline of Chicago's central business corridor has made the future of downtown foot traffic and storefronts uncertain. Following models from international peers, Chicago may find that reinvesting in pedestrian malls is an effective path for urban revitalization.

People dancing at Sundays on State
Chicago Loop Alliance
Global Cities

Chicago's Kyrgyz community is growing, and so is its economic impact

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

The Kyrgyz community in Chicagoland is small, but its economic footprint is expanding. New Kyrgyz businesses in the service industry, logistics, and shipping are bridging Illinois and Central Asia.

Kyrgyz flags waving in the sky
AP Photos
Global Cities

Opinion: What the Great Migration can teach us about the coming mass migration to Chicago

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ChicagoGlobal by Coauthors

Americans fleeing climate-change driven droughts, fires and floods will exceed the Great Migration. Better policies will produce a stronger and healthier city.

A strong wave hits along the shore of Lake Michigan
Joseph Two
Global Cities

Beyond Michael Jordan: Translating Chicago for international businesses

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

How would you explain Chicago’s business culture to folks who have never been to the U.S.? Here’s how one expert does it.

Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany
AP Photos
Global Cities

Second City's NYC foray underscores the power of one of Chicago's key exports: comedy

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ChicagoGlobal by Ally Marotti

Exporting comedy, though, is not without its risks.

Clockwise from top left: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Chris Farley
Wikimedia Commons
Global Cities

Meet two of the lawyers on the front lines of Chicago's migrant crisis

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

Beyond government and nonprofit workers, an army of legal experts has stepped in on a pro bono basis to help newly arrived asylum seekers get their bearings here in Chicago. Crain's brings you closer to two of them.

Asylum-seekers are served food within a small tent community outside a North Side police station.
AP Photos
Migration

Composting and food waste: What Chicago can learn from other global cities

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ChicagoGlobal by Coauthors

Chicago recently launched a citywide composting initiative to divert food waste from landfills and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions — something other global cities have been tackling for years.

Four green scrap drop off bins sit in front of a brick wall
City of Chicago
Climate and the Environment

Lonely Planet names the Midwest 'best value' travel destination

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ChicagoGlobal by Laura Bianchi

Chicago figures prominently in a ranking that's not just about dollars and cents.

Chicago's Pritzker Pavilion at night
Michael Muraz/Wikimedia Commons
Global Economy