ABSTRACT
While its problems resemble those of other cities, Chicago has a number of characteristics especially beneficial for neighborhood revitalization. The city has clearly defined neighborhoods, communities in which residents strongly identify with place. This local commitment has historically contributed to strong neighborhood activism and to the development of numerous community-based organizations. Jane Addams and Saul Alinsky both focused their efforts in Chicago, and the city remains a national leader in the community development field. On a broader scale, the Chicago metropolitan area has experienced considerable economic growth throughout much of the 1990s, increasing the resources available for local economic improvements.3 The presence of numerous Fortune 500 corporations within the region, as well as some of the nation’s top universities, further expands the pool of potential financial and human resources. Chicago’s neighborhoods have historically attracted the attention of many scholars and policy makers, making them some of the most studied and experimented upon places in the country. In short, Chicago is one of the most promising areas in the country for successful neighborhood revitalization. If distressed innercity communities are to improve, Chicago would be one of the most likely places for that change to occur.
