Research Archive

GCI maintains an archive of all published research. Publicly available documents are hosted online here.
For other GCI research, please send a request to gcities@uic.edu or contact the office.

New Great Cities Institute Report – “Chicago’s 2023 Mayoral Race: A Progressive Victory Amidst Shocking Low Turnout by Black and Latino Voters.”

Brandon Johnson’s election this past April as Chicago’s new mayor has been hailed across the country as an electrifying victory by progressive Democrats. But a detailed analysis of vote tallies and turnout conducted by Juan González and Matthew Wilson of the Great Cities Institute finds “a startling gap in voter turnout continues to persist along racial and ethnic lines” in Chicago.

Read the Full Report Here.

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From Waste to Water: A Framework for Sustainable Freshwater Supply in Northeastern Illinois

Executive Summary: The present moment entails a new set of challenges to water management: A formidable challenge to water management is the growing imbalance between flooding and water scarcity. Because water recycling requires technical innovation and public health inquiry, as well as policy and urban planning considerations, we convened an interdisciplinary team to establish the research and development groundwork for water recycling.

Read the Full Report Here.

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Mujeres publishes ¡Actívate! A community-data driven guide to help Latinas and their families thrive

Executive Summary: Mujeres Latinas en Acción (Mujeres) officially launched their first ever position paper, ¡Actívate! A community-data driven guide to help Latinas and their families thrive. Founded in 1973, Mujeres is the longest-standing Latina-led organization in the country. With its headquarters based in Pilsen in Chicago, Illinois, it has grown from a […]

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Data Brief: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth and Young Adult Employment in Chicago, Illinois, and the U.S.

Executive Summary: As previously documented, youth joblessness and disconnection from school and work are ongoing systemic issues in Chicago, with higher rates of violence in areas of concentrated youth joblessness (Córdova and Wilson, 2017a). In this data brief, we seek to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted those rates […]

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Illinois Immigrant Impact Task Force Report

Executive Summary: The Immigrant Impact Task Force (IITF) is a statewide effort to review, assess, and recommend a vision for the future of immigrant, refugee, and LEP communities in Illinois, created via SB 2665 the Immigrant Impact Task Force Act. The Immigrant Impact Task Force consists of 27 members representing […]

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Puerto Rico Town Databook

Executive Summary: Through the concerted focus of the Puerto Rican Agenda, on August 27, 2021, Senate Bill 1833 was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker. The bill, introduced by Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, not only made such a cultural district possible for Puerto Rican Town, but also for other communities […]

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Ten-Year Legacy of the Fight for $15 and a Union Movement: Reducing the Racial Wealth Gap and Generating Tens of Billions in Additional Economic Activity

Authors Yannet Lathrop Matthew D. Wilson William Lester Introduction and Executive Summary Ten years ago, on November 29, 2012, a group of 200 fast-food workers in New York City— fed up with low pay and roadblocks to organizing—walked out of their jobs demanding a $15 hourly wage and a union. […]

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