| Rogers Park, the most northern of Chicago's 77 neighborhoods, has a tradition of both ethnic and economic diversity. Since the 1930s, one-fifth to one-third of the population has been foreign born. Today, African American, Hispanic, and Asian residents make up more than half of the 60,378 residents. From its early days, Rogers Park has been a point of entry for immigrants and an attractive alternative for low-income minority populations escaping more disinvested areas of the city. However, the community also has a significant, stable middle-income population.
The Loyola University Chicago's Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL), which administers the university's COPC grant, will be working with community partners to help residents ensure that Rogers Park maintains its diversity as it undergoes an economic revitalization. That revitalization has already included construction of the new $66 million Gateway Plaza, a Chicago Transit Authority transit center, and other commercial developments.
In spite of these significant opportunities for economic expansion, Rogers Park still needs quality housing, good education, and job opportunities for all residents. Without such comprehensive assistance, some sectors of the community are in danger of experiencing economic decline. Other areas may see gentrification and displacement that will prevent the neighborhood's low-income population from sharing in economic development opportunities. Through the COPC, CURL will address three specific policy areas: preservation and development of affordable housing; expansion and coordination of childcare options to make employment a feasible option for all Rogers Park residents; and preservation and development of small business to increase the number of local employment opportunities.
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