Regions

Chicago & the Midwest

All of our content covering Chicago, and also states including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Past Events

Chicago Architecture and the Aesthetics of Soft Power

PAST EVENT

Global Power, Chicago-Style

Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido, Sarah Herda, and Matthew Messner join YP members to discuss the storied history and global positioning of Chicago’s architecture.

Dec 4

A photo of the Chicago river at night, looking east towards the skyline.

Kiichiro Sato / AP

Built to Last: Creating Climate Resilient Communities

PAST EVENT VIDEO

In the lead-up to COP30, Kristina Costa, Jennifer Uchendu, Kobi Weinberg, and Elizabeth Andrews discuss global lessons in urban climate resilience and Chicago's potential as a climate refuge.

Nov 6

Ana Miyares Photography

View all Past Events related to Chicago & the Midwest

Commentary

November 14, 2024

How Cover Crops Could Help the Midwestern Agriculture Business

BLOG

ChicagoGlobal by Hope O'Dell

Cover crops help prevent soil erosion and can increase farmers’ yields — but, despite widespread use overseas, they haven’t caught on much yet in the Midwest.

A red barn stands in the background with the green leaves of a corn field in the foreground

Seth Perlman/AP

Food and Agriculture

November 6, 2024

Q&A: Northwestern's New Global Affairs Chair Says Her Department is All About Connection

BLOG

ChicagoGlobal by Hope O'Dell

In her first year as head of the Buffett Institute, Deborah Cohen talks us through the role of global affairs at Northwestern, in Chicago, and beyond.

Becca Heuer

Global Cities

View all Chicago & the Midwest Commentary

Research

September 27, 2023

A Tale of Two Regions: The Economic and Political Importance of Different Paths to Heartland Renewal

RESEARCH

Working Paper by Coauthors

The regeneration strategies of the former industrial areas of Pittsburgh in the US and Germany's Ruhr offer lessons for other regions in economic transition.

AP Photos

Global Cities

May 4, 2023

Upstream Illinois: Strategies to Boost Illinois' Blue Economy

RESEARCH

Report by Alaina Harkness

This report by Nonresident Fellow Alaina Harkness offers a blueprint for inclusive growth and innovation in the blue economy grounded in the Great Lakes.