"The most vibrant cities tend to be on the East Coast. The fastest growing cities tend to be in the South. Chicago's growth is hampered because it is in the Midwest—a region of the country which has been anti-city for several decades. While every region of the country has cities in decline, no region of the country has the number of cities where the erosion has been as steep as in the Midwest. Some of the decline of midwestern cities can be associated with the persistent love of all things suburban."
"Unfortunately, that suburban mentality makes its way to Chicago when individuals move here from other parts of the Midwest bringing their aversion to tall buildings, love of mall-type structures, the desire to drive everywhere even for very short distances and other suburban notions which are ill-suited for the urban environment. TOD was a concept that took hold in the New York City Metro area, more than a decade ago (I know because I lived there at that time). Still in Chicago, many residents insist that TOD are low-rise, and contain excessive parking spaces. These suburban ideals actually retard Chicago's ability to build dense environments, which attract other business and investment. These factors in concert with others work to inhibit population growth." — Peck [Why Chicago Needs More Transit-Oriented Developments]
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