The reorganization of urban politics: The Chicago growth machine after World War II

The modern urban economy is marked by an economic and demographic dispersal away from cities to the suburbs. New areas of the metropolitan region gained production facilities while the economy of the city and its central business district were dominated by the growing professional service sector and the remaining consumer retail business. Civic and business leaders rebuilt the city to fit the changing economy and protect their private investments in the declining city, and political power shifted away from voters in neighborhoods to downtown business interests.; As the ruling urban regime used public policy to make the city a vehicle for economic growth, they made policies and caused changes in social patterns which created problems for local communities within the city. This provoked the formation of similar types of opposition in different cities. In Chicago, three main groups opposed the urban regime: white liberals, black independents, and white ethnics. The black independent movement eventually defeated the urban regime, strengthened by the metropolitan social changes affecting the city and motivated by the way the political system dealt with racial issues. However, its success was short lived.; Chicago is used as a case study for how these processes affected cities. The modern urban regime under Mayor Richard J. Daley (1955 to 1976) responded to the fundamental weaknesses of the modern city. The main urban economic and demographic patterns are outlined and Chicago is put into the national context to show that other cities were affected in similar ways. Background on politics and urban planning in Chicago is provided to better understand the significant changes in the post-World War II period.; The growth machine concept defines modern cities as engines of economic development for business interests. Individuals and institutions in the growth machine profit from the intensification of land use. This analysis is based on an expanded and historical view of the growth machine and informed by ideas from regime theory. Regime theory explores the informal decision making process and arrangements where business elites often exercise political power. Chicago's example suggests this interpretation can be explored in other places.