Economic and racial segregation cost the Chicago region billions of dollars each year, according to a report by the Metropolitan Planning Council and the Urban Institute with support from MacArthur and the Chicago Community Trust. The study projected three key outcomes if the region’s African American-white segregation were reduced to the median of the nation’s largest 100 metro areas, including $4.4 billion in additional income in the region each year, a 30 percent lower homicide rate, and 83,000 more bachelor’s degrees. The next phase of the study will identify policy interventions that can accelerate metropolitan Chicago toward a more integrated and economically prosperous future.
