City Growth Facts:

• When the results of the 2000 census were published, the magnitude of Chicago’s transformation became clear.  The city’s population increased by 112,000 people — a substantial growth registered for the first time since the 1940s.
• According to a study done by the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Po-licy Program, a striking emergence of Chicago’s downtown neighborhoods took place – they grew by 16,000 residents during the 90s.  In the same time period, the city’s median income increased by 12.6 percent, that is 2 percent higher than the median incomes of the entire state or of the six-county metropolitan region. Tens of thousands of work places were created in the downtown area.  The city experienced a high-rise construction boom.  The number of people living under the poverty level has been reduced.  The tourist and convention industries experienced a spur of growth bringing the city $9 billion in annual income.
• The city became one of the most beautiful in the country.
• Chicago has become a global model for how a metropolis can pursue environmental goals to achieve economic success.