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Originally Posted by The Lurker
Open to out of towners as well? I would love to drive in one day and speak in favor of high density developments like these and against developments like Dearborn park in such proximity to The Loop. I may just be a tourist here but I avoid the South Loop at all costs. That should say something. That type of crap belongs on the other side of the River. And i mean the Des Plaines River.
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Absolutely! There are plenty of locations in Chicagoland with this esthetic and sustainably so. Chicago will only become more and more urban with each passing generation because it is what the global image of prosperity or change is. Imagine what developers could do with projects if they weren't spending money pouring so much damn concrete just for a 2 -3 cars per unit. Its valueless architecture for an urban environment. Eventually the tide will turn. Its quaint to have a 2-3 floor flat building adjacent to a city center but the desire to live in these locations will not permanently allow high rises to build around pockets of hold out neighborhoods without historic value or urban connective charm.
DT Chicago has become increasingly ridiculous to traverse in car, even as much as I want to see downtown it takes a lot of time to negotiate the traffic from all the increased development of the last decade. The solution to this is not of course to have more parking. The solution will require a major transportation style shift from outside the south loop as much as within it which is exactly why you want outsiders coming to these meetings and voicing opinions. These outsiders want to visit your neighborhood, spend money, and potentially buy there.
These same suburban development issues play out in any city of every size in the U.S. save for a very lucky few. In my city with subsidized housing they don't even want new urbanism even if there is a 20 floor building across the street. They instead want ranch homes and 3 car garages on cul-de-sacs, context be damned.