Shifting patterns of suburban dominance: The case of Chicago from 2000 to 2010

Abstract

The main map Shifting Patterns of Suburban Dominance: The Case of Chicago from 2000 to 2010 depicts the dramatic outward shift in population from Chicago's old industrial suburbs to the region's new economy suburbs. In a prior study, a rank mobility index (RMI) was applied to Chicago's suburbs and mapped using a graduated symbol map to show dramatic changes in the suburban hierarchy from 1990 to 2000. This paper updates the earlier study with results from the 2010 census so as to explore changes in Chicago's suburban hierarchy during the 2000-2010 period. We use a Getis-Ord Gi approach to geo-visualize the regional difference and change for these rank shifts. The resulting map reveals a contemporary urban development pattern consistent with those depicted in early twentieth-century models of Chicago's growth. © 2013 Copyright Richard P. Greene.