Chicago: A Model City

My kind of town, Chicago is! In a article in this weeks Economist, they will give Chicago a prized label......

(Chicago Tribune)Chicago is about to pick up an important label and accolade from The Economist magazine: An American success story.

This week's issue of The Economist includes a special pull-out report that says Chicago's buzzing social life, its universities, its prosperity and its buffed up facade have combined to make a model for other American cities struggling with the challenges of shifting economies.

The report will be available at The Economist Web site on Thursday.

The city's natural assets and its re-creation as a center of entertainment and culture have played a big role in The Economist's assessment of the city and its status.

In the magazine's view, Chicago has come a long way since The Economist, in 1980, cited its creaking political machine, its severe race problems and its declining economy in charging Chicago was one of the most challenged cities in America.

A world class airport, an array of hospitals and research institutions that are among the world's best and a vibrant immigration scene have helped preserve the city's economic vibrancy, the magazine says in a special report by Johnny Grimond.

There are some downsides in the report.

It argues that it literally can't get much better in Chicago than it is now, that the city continues to struggle with poverty, crime and drug problems and that future growth will tend toward the suburbs, even as more people return to life in the city.

The magazine also notes that Mayor Richard Daley's era is coming to an end, a development that is likely to spark a renewal of the kind of brutal political battles that have frequently plagued and damaged the city.

Even with those problems, though, The Economist said Chicago has done better than any other American city in its determination to reverse urban decline.

The Economist is a weekly international news and business publication that is edited in London.