City growth and upkeep

- The Chicago I remember from my teenage years was a city of ethnic conflicts, dilapidating buildings and parks, with the middle class fleeing to the suburbs and the inner-city population constantly on the move. You and your father were both raised, lived, and, in your case, still live in Bridgeport. What, in your opinion, is the value of neighborhood pride?

R.M.D.: Neighborhood pride is an individual issue. It doesn’t matter who you are – you can have a house that’s clean, a front yard that’s clean, a backyard that’s clean, you can make sure your alley is clean. It’s just pride. You don’t need education for that. People should take pride in the place where they live, even if it’s rented.

- Are there city programs dedicated to neighborhood development? For example, as on Division Street where Puerto Rican flags have been installed?

R.M.D.: We have been definitely working on that. But there are also block clubs, community organizations. We have rallies concerning crime in communities. We install new lighting, plant trees, campus parks, build fire stations, police stations, libraries, and senior citizen centers. Neighborhood revitalization is a combination of small, medium, and large size businesses. You constantly have to plan for manufacturing districts. So you take a holistic approach. There are a lot of issues to deal with.