RESILIENCE MIXED WITH PRACTICALITY SETS THIS U.S. SECOND CITY APART, MAKING IT AN ICON OF COMMUNITY

Foreword

The Future of Infrastructure

Known as the ‘Second City,’ ‘City of Big Shoulders,’ and the ‘Windy City,’ Chicago is a hub of cosmopolitan flair that more than 2.7 million people call home. The city’s world-class restaurants, thriving cultural scene and diverse neighborhoods are magnets for tourists and residents alike and its potential for further economic development have made it the #1 metropolitan area for corporations and expansions in the country.

As part of this research, we asked over 1,000 Chicagoans for their views on the city’s infrastructure and their ambitions for its future evolution. We found that while Chicagoans are proud of their city’s growth and development, they recognize the need to upgrade public transportation as well as its utilities throughout the city.

We are rooted in Chicago and have contributed to the city’s storied past and will continue to contribute to its vaunted future. AECOM’s network of planners, designers, engineers and management professionals have the knowledge and reach to address the challenges Chicagoans face as they continue to develop infrastructure that will advance this city into a future and that will support and sustain its growth for years to come.

Denise Casalino,
Senior Vice President, Strategy and Growth, Design and Consulting Services, Americas, AECOM

With its 2.7 million residents, 600 parks and 26 miles of lakefront, what will Chicago, look like in 50 years? How will it continue to inspire and excite, while it safeguards water systems, advances its infrastructure and continues to cultivate and develop its urban landscape for generations to come? The answer is by finding innovative ways to connect people to places through mobility and by strengthening neighborhoods.

Despite funding shortfalls, the city continues to make great strides in securing Chicago as a destination for tourists, residents and businesses. Maggie Daley Park opened. The Cubs won the World Series. Chicago’s rapid transit system has made a comeback. The housing market is booming. A long untapped resource, the Chicago River, is now open for people to access and enjoy. It is no wonder that Chicago is experiencing growth. It is the #1 metro area for corporate relocations and expansions in the U.S., ranked #2 for fast-growing companies and #8 globally for economy.

INFRASTRUCTURE IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

In collaboration with Longitude — a Financial Times Company, AECOM’s Future of Infrastructure research harnesses survey data and opinions from over 10,000 infrastructure users in 10 major global cities, including Chicago, to ask how satisfied, safe, inspired and engaged people feel with their roads and bridges, rail services and utilities.

CHICAGO FINDINGS

Chicagoans are proud of their city — a center for arts and culture along the lake. However, residents have plenty to endure, from gruelling winters to government budget crises. While Chicago residents are 'moderately satisfied' with their city’s infrastructure, there are increasing needs to improve both soft and hard infrastructure including government and agency engagement with residents, to water, transportation and the environment. The findings of this report are reflective of priorities for the city’s management.

The Voice of the People // The Future of Infrastructure

[City]: Satisfaction

Chicago respondents are 'moderately satisfied' with their city’s infrastructure, with a Satisfaction index score of 6.6 out of 10 — ranking slightly higher than average for all city-dwellers surveyed in our report and higher than any other city surveyed in North America.

A transport reliability score of 6.3 puts Chicagoans above the average for all cities surveyed (6.1) in terms of satisfaction, and Chicago ranked in line with the average for transport affordability (6.1). Upgrading public transportation was ranked one of the top priorities for Chicago respondents for future infrastructure improvements.

Scores for satisfaction, engagement, innovation, and resilience are based on a 1–10 scale.

  • 10–7.6

    Very satisfied

  • 7.5–5.1

    Moderately satisfied

  • 5.0–2.6

    Not very satisfied

  • 2.5–1.0

    Dissatisfied

When asked about the management and delivery of the city’s infrastructure, Chicago respondents were 'not very satisfied'. With a score of 3.93, Chicagoans were below the average of respondents across all cities.

While less than half (48%) of Chicago respondents surveyed feel their water is affordable, residents were 'very satisfied' (8.7) with the reliability of their water utility. Reliability scores were less favourable for electric utility (6.7) based on reported outages in the past 12 months. Some 58% of the city’s respondents said they had experienced one or no outages in the past year. Chicago respondents noted upgrading utilities as one of their top three priorities for future infrastructure improvements.

Article / Engagement

Do You Know Your Community?
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Do You Know Your Community?
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All Change?
Infrastructure’s Next-Gen Workforce

All Change?
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An Informed Engaged Public:
Key to Modernizing Infrastructure

An Informed Engaged Public:

The Voice of the People // The Future of Infrastructure

[City]: Engagement

Chicago’s Engagement index is low at 2.7 out of 10, and this score puts Chicago below the average global index of 3.3 — along with Hong Kong and Sydney. Globally, over one-third (34%) of survey respondents have had no interaction at all with public transportation providers in the past year.

Continuing with public transportation, in the 10 surveyed cities, it was felt that the opportunities that do exist for better interaction are often wasted through a lack of attention to basic details. For example, no more than 36% of respondents feel that the authorities are clear when requesting citizen feedback about public transportation issues. Such clarity is particularly low, judging by the responses in North American cities including Chicago, which is 27% in agreement.

Scores for satisfaction, engagement, innovation, and resilience are based on a 1–10 scale.

  • 10–7.6

    Very satisfied

  • 7.5–5.1

    Moderately satisfied

  • 5.0–2.6

    Not very satisfied

  • 2.5–1.0

    Dissatisfied

A total of 55% of Chicago respondents felt that they have not had the opportunity to provide feedback regarding public infrastructure issues in the past 12 months, (the all city average was 45%); only 11% reported providing feedback on future planning.

Some 52% of those surveyed across all 10 global cities agreed that requests for feedback about infrastructure improvements or investments come too late in the planning stage for their influence to be meaningful.

Chicagoans also reported a below average score for engagement in transport infrastructure (2.6). They score below the average for this metric across the 10 cities surveyed, which is itself low compared to that for other metrics.

THE top ThrEE major infrastructure projects delivered in Chicago IN the last ten years

Project

I-55/Lake Shore Drive Interchange

I-55/Lake Shore Drive Interchange
Project

Chicago Department of Aviation

Chicago Department of Aviation
Project

Chicago Park District

Chicago Park District

The Voice of the People // The Future of Infrastructure

[City]: Innovation

Chicagoans are 'moderately satisfied' overall with their city’s level of innovation in infrastructure and services, however, their index score (5.9) still falls below the average for all cities surveyed (6.2). Chicago respondents ranked solar power, fiber-optic broadband, smart (digital) electricity meters installed in homes and fast rail connections to the airport as the top four technologies that will positively impact their quality of life in the future.

Citizens identified driverless vehicles, along with social media payment channels and virtual/augmented reality as the three technologies likely to have the least impact on their quality of life.

Scores for satisfaction, engagement, innovation, and resilience are based on a 1–10 scale.

  • 10–7.6

    Very satisfied

  • 7.5–5.1

    Moderately satisfied

  • 5.0–2.6

    Not very satisfied

  • 2.5–1.0

    Dissatisfied

Meanwhile, when it comes to future spending on transportation, residents of Chicago would prioritize spending on improving the road network. This sentiment was shared with those in Los Angeles and Sydney — all three cities where private cars are the main form of local transport. By contrast, those in New York, Toronto and Hong Kong, where people are more reliant on mass transit, would prioritize spending on improving their underground metro systems.
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Right Here, Right Now:
Mobility as a Service

Right Here, Right Now:
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Olmsted Dam:
Making Modern America

Olmsted Dam:
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Making Cities Resilient:
A Cyber Stress Test

Making Cities Resilient:

The Voice of the People // The Future of Infrastructure

[City]: Resilience

The Resilience index for Chicago is 5.5, which is slightly below the average score of all cities surveyed at 5.7. Just under half of residents (46%) are confident in the city government's ability to protect infrastructure from natural disasters, and 35% from terrorism. Protection against the impacts of natural disasters ranked fifth in terms of Chicago respondents’ priorities for future infrastructure improvements, just behind protection against cyberattacks in fourth place. 

Residents identified improving environmental sustainability (recycling, wastewater re-use, solar power), upgrading of utilities, and upgrading public transportation as the three most important infrastructure improvements.

 

Scores for satisfaction, engagement, innovation, and resilience are based on a 1–10 scale.

  • 10–7.6

    Very satisfied

  • 7.5–5.1

    Moderately satisfied

  • 5.0–2.6

    Not very satisfied

  • 2.5–1.0

    Dissatisfied

The Future of Infrastructure

Infographic

Chicago at a glance

The top three future infrastructure projects in Chicago 

Project

Microgrid and Community of the Future

Microgrid and Community of the Future
Project

the Jane Byrne ‘Circle’ Interchange

the Jane Byrne ‘Circle’ Interchange
Project

Central Tri-State

Central Tri-State