“Growth for All” is a comprehensive, data-driven strategic framework and action agenda for Chicago’s next two decades to spur economic and population growth that extends beyond the central business district to lift the whole region. Growth for All is the region’s strongest antidote for overcoming its challenges and its best path to a thriving future. Driving it forward will require Chicago’s unique One Table model of cross-sector collaboration to rally stakeholders around supercharging economic competitiveness, making Chicago a talent magnet, and leading the way in livability— the three imperatives our organizations have identified as most critical to kickstarting a virtuous cycle of growth.
Chicago is a vibrant city brimming with opportunity; talent; and civic, academic, natural, and cultural assets. In recent decades, however, the region has fallen behind its peers. Despite its position as the third-largest metro economy in the country, Chicago ranks 15th of 15 peer metros in population growth and 14th of 15 in real gross metropolitan product (GMP) growth since 2010. That stagnation is now driving chronic budget shortfalls, underinvestment, and unacceptable levels of violence in some parts of the city.
The Committee and Club are committing to taking a leadership role in new and expanded efforts across business competitiveness, talent, public safety,and transportation. Additionally, the organizations will support work others are leading in the priority areas of education, housing, healthcare, energy, and culture.
To position the region to best seize growth’s benefits, the framework introduces six ambitious but achievable targets the region should be working toward that the Committee and Club will track over the next decade:
- Double the current compound annual growth rate to reach at least 3%
- Grow the City of Chicago’s population back above 3 million residents and the metro area above 10 million
- Reach 3% growth in annual GMP per employed worker
- Move Chicago’s median income above its peers’ average
- Move intergenerational mobility from negative to positive
- Slash the percentage of households living in poverty by 25%
In the months ahead, the Civic Committee and Commercial Club will invite elected officials, community leaders, and stakeholders across the region to join this effort and help build on the strategies that will turn Growth for All into action.
Should you or any organizations or groups in your network be interested in learning more about this work or joining our effort, please let us know by emailing Daniela Cervantes at dcervantes@civiccom.org.