This Chicago Council on Global Affairs report recommends Chicago's leaders focus on priorities of infrastructure, human capital, and global engagement.
Introduction
An Agenda for Chicago's Future, was released on October 17, 2007, and recommends that Chicago's leaders focus on the three key priorities of infrastructure, human capital, and global engagement in order to maintain Chicago’s status as a top-tier global city.
Key Findings
The Chicago Council convened a study group on Chicago's global future in January 2007 to define the issues and set an agenda on how Chicago can compete and thrive as a first-tier global city. Although Chicago’s global city status is often debated, many of Chicago’s leaders agree that if the city is to succeed, now is the time to address the challenges and opportunities of the global era.
More than forty leaders representing business, civil society, academia, and government met monthly from January through June 2007. Their resulting report, The Global Edge: An Agenda for Chicago's Future, was released on October 17, 2007, and recommends that Chicago’s leaders focus on the three key priorities of infrastructure, human capital, and global engagement in order to maintain Chicago’s status as a top-tier global city. It makes very specific recommendations, including significantly increasing efforts to market the city as a global destination, expediting the expansion of O’Hare International Airport, reforming regional public transportation, and improving educational opportunities in the Chicagoland area.
