What is a great city?

I think the top 4 things that would make a great city are

1) public transportation
2) safety
3) tourism
4) affordability

Public transportation is very essential because so many people are employed within the city and it is the cities job to provide people with different ways of getting around. Vehicles, trains, buses, and bike routes are provided in Chicago but I think there can be so much more done to improve transportation services to make them quicker and more efficient for everyone.

Safety in Chicago was always very questionable? Since I am attending UIC which is in the middle of the city and apart of the West side where crime is very usual, I always have to be very precautious and watch my surroundings. I do however believe that UIC police do a great job when they are patrolling the campus especially around the residential areas.

Tourism is a great aspect of Chicago! I believe our most famous tourist spots are Navy Peer, Michigan Ave., and the Water Tower. Although I appreciate all that Chicago has to offer, I feel we are behind many other cities in this aspect. For instance, unlike Vegas Chicago doesn’t have strip of different attractions where people can do other things than shop. Vegas also has a famous rail-line that gives tourists the whole look of the strip.

Affordability is very important because without it, it seems as though Chicago is very segregated in class and there is not much diversity in most parts of the city. When gentrification occurs, the same classes of families are forced to live together because the wealthy will live where old houses were torn down and the poor will all migrate to areas where housing is somewhat affordable. Overall, I think Chicago has much improving to do on affordable housing, but they are doing a good job in a few parts of the city.