The 2014 UIC Urban Forum was held earlier this year on September 18th. The theme this year was centered on the neighborhood as a strategy to strengthen our cities. As the introduction from this year stated:
Metropolitan regions are a complex web of activities, systems and networks, of people, businesses, and capital, and of commercial, industrial and residential areas. The strength, value, welfare and resilience of cities and metropolitan regions reflect their core building blocks, namely, their neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods are the lifeblood of our cities, where social activity, human interaction, and the building blocks of dynamic and vibrant cities and regions begin.
This has been the main tenet of the UIC Neighborhoods Initiative, housed here at GCI, through it’s 20 years of service to Chicago neighborhoods, initiating projects on everything from commercial revitalization to capacity building for community non-profits. Neighborhood assistance has always been at the heart of UICNI’s mission, and we’re excited to be expanding the Neighborhoods Initiative with a new strength and dedication to creating great cities, by and for everyone.
Video from the forum is now available on the UIC Urban Forum website, three of which feature GCI’s director, Teresa Córdova, and fellows, Nik Theodore and Rachel Weber on various panels. Mike Pagano, GCI fellow and CUPPA dean, was the convener of the forum.
About the Author:
Jackson Morsey, GCI Economic Development Planner: Primarily working within GCI’s Neighborhoods Initiative, Jackson works in collaboration with community-based organizations, university faculty, and staff to provide technical assistance and services for community and economic development projects.
