The Future of the Metropolis
Using Chicago as a case study, this study of the future of the American metropolis addressed the challenges facing metropolitan areas in spheres such as public transportation, land use and housing, governance and taxation, and economic well-being.
In the late 1990s, Elmer Johnson (Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago; The Aspen Institute) recommended that the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ convene a small group to consider the "future of the metropolis" as a potential Çï¿ûÊÓƵ study. To focus the project, the group suggested that Johnson undertake a comprehensive case study of the city of Chicago and its metropolitan region. In addition to providing a plan for the Chicago area, the goal was to create an informative strategic guide for city leaders in the United States and other advanced industrial societies as they wrestle with the urban problems of the 21st century. As such, the case study would provide the basis for broader Çï¿ûÊÓƵ analyses of the challenges facing metropolitan regions.
The intertwined economic and social objectives of the study were driven by dreams of what the Chicago region could become in the next hundred years. The recommendations set forth in the plan are intended to enhance the economic vibrancy of the city and its surrounding area and to provide the best possible living conditions and equity of opportunity for all its residents. Areas covered by the report include education, transportation, land use and housing, the environment, governance and taxation, economic competitiveness, and race and poverty.
The report, Chicago Metropolis 2020, edited by Elmer Johnson, was published by the University of Chicago Press.