The Chicago Boom (living, legally, centers)

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Milliano

Is there some outside force at work causing a stagnation and inhibiting the economy of these places, like NIMBYism and irrational zoning?

Actually yes. NIMBYism is very high in New York. It would be virtually impossible to get the stuff going up in Chicago built in NY because it would meet so much opposition. And if it did get built it would take years of meetings and teeth pulling, and making concessions to every neighborhood group until the design is a shell of its former self. And SF, well you can do the math on the amount of NIMBys in that city. Chicago has them too, but not on the same level.

This is not to mention that theres virtually no open plots in Manhattan...something has to go down for something to go up. In Chicago, there are surface lots galore that developers can buy up and build on. There is TONS of undeveloped land in Chicago

[Skyline887]

does anyone have a image that would show what the chicago skyline would look like with this buildings

[Milliano]

Thanks via chicago, that makes a lot of sense. I wonder why there is so much opposition to high density construction? It seems contradictory that residents tend to complain so much about housing costs (ask for rent control, oppose gentrification, etc) yet oppose new construction.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Milliano

Thanks via chicago, that makes a lot of sense. I wonder why there is so much opposition to high density construction? It seems contradictory that residents tend to complain so much about housing costs (ask for rent control, oppose gentrification, etc) yet oppose new construction.

I find it more interesting that people move to high density areas, but then complain when more density is added. Its like the quote I had earlier in the thread from an alderman: "Its best to check the zoning maps of the neighborhood you're moving into, to see if it fits your needs." This information is publicly available, someone moving into the South Loop or Streeterville has absolutely zero room to complain when highrises go in across the street. You're moving into one of the densest neighborhoods in the world for christ sakes, what do you expect!

Its the same thing as city dwellers who move out to the country, but then complain when the roosters down the road are up at 4AM, or about the smell of manure.

[aragx6]

It's funny that the_pines was complaining about the poor lost rust belt cities, when many of them are now doing just what Chicago is doing... growing. St. Louis' population raised in the last census for the first time since the post WWII era. People actually want to be in the city now, where as the baby boom generation wanted nothing more than to prove how wealthy they were by moving our to the burbs.

I actually think that aside from gas prices, which plays a HUGE role in the urban revitalization efforts in progress in nearly every city in America right now, another major reason is that the children of many of those baby boomers, the ones who grew up in the suburbs and hated it, are now grown and employed and want to enjoy everything the city has to offer - things like a nightlife and restaurants other than TGIFridays and Chili's and Bennigan's

[Skyline887]

does any one have an image or seen an image of what the skyline will look like with all this skyscrapers.

[Skyline887]

There needs to be more skyscrapers in the river north area and between adams and roosevelt street.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Skyline887

There needs to be more skyscrapers in the river north area and between adams and roosevelt street.

i agree, especially about river north. the last thing that area needs is another concrete mid-rise. I do know construction just wrapped up on the Grand Kingsbury
http://www.jeberkowitz.com/images/Grand%20and%20Kingsbury.jpg (broken link)

Typically the design would strike me as sort of blah, but the area really needed something like that to add some "oomph".

[Skyline887]

they need to make river norrth and river west area like the gold coast and streeterville. More skyscrapers. There also need to be more skyscrapers in the streets south of adams to roosevelt and as west to the kennedy highway

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Skyline887

as west to the kennedy highway

it would be awesome if one day that whole stretch of the kennedy was bounded by skyscrapers, much as the chicago river is now. imagine driving through in between that...it would be pretty incredible. actually, Skybridge along the Kennedy is my favorite condo development in the city of the new century. the design is absolutely sublime and everything architecture should be.


I love catching glimpses of it from the loop and being able to peer at the setting sun right through the middle of it in the evening.