Reflecting on Daley's Mixed Design Legacy in Chicago

After 22 years in office, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is leaving office. This piece looks back on his mixed impact on the urban design of the city.

1 minute read

May 13, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin reflects on Daley's tenure and the good and bad projects he ushered.

"Daley had longevity and he had luck. His record-setting 22 years in office, one more than his father, allowed him to experiment and to coalesce the power that led to dramatic changes to the cityscape. Like his father, he had the good fortune to govern during good economic times. He rode that wave to strengthen the city's downtown, improve the city's infrastructure and make Chicago work.

But it did not work for everyone.

The city actually lost population during the last decade, the only one of America's 10 largest cities to do so. While Chicago's burnished downtown confirms its status as a world city, other parts of the city are little different from the urban nightmare of Detroit. The blooming tulips on North Michigan Avenue have not stanched the bleeding of people in Englewood, a South Side neighborhood that lost more than 9,500 people (a quarter of its population) in the past ten years."

Monday, May 9, 2011 in Chicago Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

2 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

4 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press