How can older urban commercial and industrial areas compete with the
lure of suburban shopping malls and industrial parks? How can inner-city,
low-income communities, typically under-served by commercial businesses,
attract new commerce? Without viable industry and commerce, residents
cannot find needed goods and services close to home, and the community
as a whole loses valuable jobs. Many older urban communities in Chicago
remain important sources of economic activity, both for the community
and for the city as a whole. They enjoy important advantages, including
a strong core of existing businesses, a large local labor force, and expansion
possibilities in unused or under-used parcels, all necessary for industrial
redevelopment. Pent-up consumer demand, strong local entrepreneurs, stately
historic commercial buildings, and unique ethnic character also support
commercial revitalization.
To some extent, the competitive position of urban commercial and industrial
areas depends on wider economic conditions. However, effective design
interventions that improve circulation, demonstrate viability of smaller
industrial parcels, provide low-cost, incremental improvements to existing
structures, and create a sense of community can all play an important
role in the successful regeneration of an area. Working with community
organizations, faculty and students at the City Design Center have created
innovative strategies for developing challenging sites, integrating mixed
uses, and creating local identities to market commercial and industrial
districts.
