Research Reports

Serving  as a hub for the creation and exchange of knowledge, GCI brings together the resources and intellectual capital of the university and joins it with community stakeholders to produce research that influences public policy to impact the quality of life in the city.  Because GCI’s research is a public good, the Institute is committed to producing and promoting research that is accessible, useful, and responsive to the multi-faceted issues facing the region.

As UIC’s center for engaged urban scholarship, GCI’s goal is to harness our research as a powerful tool to contribute to a more just, equitable and sustainable society.

Close-up of a UIC Great Cities Institute report cover titled “Chicago’s Runaway Development Tool: Who Paid and Who Gained from 40+ Years of Tax Increment Financing?” The image features a map of Chicago with TIF areas highlighted in pink and part of the city skyline along the bottom. The report is dated August 26, 2026.

Chicago’s Tax Increment Financing: Who Paid, Who Gained?

Juan González, Matthew D. Wilson, Teresa Córdova, and Jason "Jay" Campos | Posted on August 26, 2026

This report presents GCI’s analysis of TIF’s effects on public investment, taxpayers, taxing bodies, and economic development across Chicago.

Cover of Raices 2026 report

Raíces 2026: Building Stability to Strengthen Latino Civic Power

Teresa Córdova, PhD., José Acosta Córdova, PhD., Jason “Jay” Campos, Marissa Guadalupe Leal, Margarita Olmos, David Adrian Segovia Angamarca, and Maribel “Mari” Villa | Posted on February 23, 2026

Raíces 2026 highlights Latino economic contributions, enforcement instability, and policies needed to strengthen civic power in Illinois.

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Youth Joblessness and Disconnection, 2019–2023

Matthew D. Wilson, Ph.D. and Jason "Jay" Campos | Posted on May 15, 2025

This data brief reveals stark racial and geographic disparities in youth joblessness and disconnection across Chicago, Cook County, and the U.S.