Dying the Rivers Green

Happy Saint Patty's Day all!!! Enjoy the festivities as Chicago dye's its river green to celebrate the festivities.

City Ever Changing (Ch 9)

The animation above clearly shows the change from 1910 to 2000 in Chicago's make up. Even though it almost a decade after the last animation, it serves as a visual aid to help understand the changing influence in the city. It is a good demonstration of how the African American and Latino population's influence spreads outward from a given area. This can be associated with the development of transportation. In addition, it shows a recent growth of the Asian Population. To note, Chicago has one of the largest South Asian American population in the nation.

The multiple forms of transportation in addition to the prospering economy draws people to it's center, hence the ever changing population. The rate of citizens below the poverty line are 19.6% of the population and 16.6% of the families, which is above the national rate of 12% to 17% citizens living below the federal poverty line.

The population fluctuation can also be attributed to the patterns of immigration and migration. As the frontier opened, more and more people traveled west to settle here and other places across the Great Plains. The variety of opportunity has allowed citizens of Chicago to rise above the discrimination they faced elsewhere in the United States and the World. Since 2000 however, Chicago has experienced a 2% decrease in population and is down from it's all time high in 1940 of 3,620,000+ citizens. The average household size is 2.67, while the average family size is 3.50. The median age is 32 years old, with 33.4% of the population between 25 and 44, and 26.2% under the age of 18.

Serving the City (Ch. 8)

For a city and community to be among the elite and lead the nation, the government and the community must work to benefit the whole. There are many ways in which this can happen, from law enforcement to education. Furthermore, the community must come together to serve itself.

Chicago's finest. The Fire department is comprised of 98 stations, 4,314 firefighters and 619 paramedics. Established in 1832, it is the largest department in the Midwestern United States. The Chicago Police department is the largest in the Midwest and the second largest in the US with 13,400 officers and over 1,800 employees.


The health care system of Chicago is comprised of John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County (the largest largest trauma-center in the city), University of Chicago Medical Center (the fourteenth best hospital in the US), and The University of Illinois College of Medicine (the largest medical school in the United States) to name a few. Chicago is also the base for numerous medical associations.

Chicago is home to the third largest school districts in the nation with 400,000 students enrolled. There are 680 public schools, 394 private schools, 83 colleges, and 88 libraries in Chicago. The schools are trying to improve the success of their students by emphasizing the importance the role of the parent, which has improved attendance rates. Chicago is a city that is very interested in having its students succeed.

The Chicago Education Project helps serve a different portion of the community. The nonprofit special education facility aids family and children that suffer from Autism, PDD-NOS, emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and other health impairments. This programs is designed to help such students exceed their dreams and prepare excel in their future by tailoring the lesson plans to each child's needs.

A City's Financial (Ch 7)

In tough economic times, cities based on finance struggle with their economic stability. With the diverse economy of Chicago, the residents do not have to worry as much, as they would with an economy based solely on the financial market. With a population of just under 3 million people, in a metro area of 10,874 sq miles, Chicago has a density about 12,649 per sq mile. The median income for a household in the city is $38,625.

Chicago is the second largest financial centers in the United States. It is home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Boards Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This financial hub is surrounded by many brokerage firms and insurance companies. The Healthcare Financial Services division of General Electric is also located in heart of Chicago. Some of the largest banks in the region are located in Chicago's center; JPMorgan Chase, LaSalle Bank, Harris Bank, and Northern Trust. While the largest banks headquartered in Chicago are: Northern Trust, Harris Bank, Corus Bank, and First Midwest Bank.

The diversity of the metropolitan economy helps ensure the stability of the economy, whereas in other cities the economy is constantly fluctuating. The diversity however, does not extend everywhere. For the most part, Chicago is racially segregated, though the different racial groups aid the melting pot that is Chicago and its culture. In infrastructure helps the groups of Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics extend their influences to the surrounding areas, as well as the other minorities to influence the other areas of the city as well.

Chicago's future relies on its chameleon like ability to adapt to the needs of the economy. It started out as a trading post for fur, then morphed as demand changed into food production, shipping, and packing. From there it changed as the bicycle became popularized in the late 1800s and early 1900s, than once again into what it is today, as a multifaceted economy.