Learn about the economic value of the Chicago River
A discussion of the economic value of the Chicago River.
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Transcript
MIKE BRYSON: Hi, I'm Mike Bryson, an associate professor of humanities and sustainability studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. We're standing by the main branch of the Chicago River, which is one of the most engineered and transformed urban streams in the United States. The question of how much a river costs is actually rather complicated to address. It really depends upon what kinds of costs and values you want to look at.
For example, in a highly transformed river like the Chicago River many different construction projects were implemented in the past to change the flow and structure of the river. One notable one was the Sanitary and Ship Canal, which was begun in the late 19th century and finished in 1900 and which, at the time, was one of the most ambitious public works projects in the world. It cost over $30 million at the time of its completion, which translates into almost a billion dollars in 2011.
But there are a host of other costs and values associated with the river. In this impressive setting in Chicago's Loop, right along the river, you don't have to be a real estate genius to guess that riverfront property in the city is valuable, particularly in Chicago's Loop. But putting a number on it gives one a new appreciation of that reality. As of 2010, one study showed that the total property value within 800 feet of the river shoreline in Chicago was about $10.2 billion.
The Chicago River also has a wide range of recreational value and associated economic impacts, from tour boats that ply the river's waters to canoeists and kayakers who use it for recreation. A study by a river advocacy group, The Friends of the Chicago River, determined that in 2005 over $7 million of economic activity was generated by paddling Northeastern Illinois's rivers, which included urban streams like the Chicago River.
Another way to consider the value of the Chicago River is as a piece or an example of urban nature-- a place in the city where you can encounter something besides the steel- and concrete-built environment. It's undeniable, too, that having an encounter with a river, whether standing by it and looking at it or even taking a canoe ride on the water itself, changes one's perception, not just of the river, but of the city itself.
For example, in a highly transformed river like the Chicago River many different construction projects were implemented in the past to change the flow and structure of the river. One notable one was the Sanitary and Ship Canal, which was begun in the late 19th century and finished in 1900 and which, at the time, was one of the most ambitious public works projects in the world. It cost over $30 million at the time of its completion, which translates into almost a billion dollars in 2011.
But there are a host of other costs and values associated with the river. In this impressive setting in Chicago's Loop, right along the river, you don't have to be a real estate genius to guess that riverfront property in the city is valuable, particularly in Chicago's Loop. But putting a number on it gives one a new appreciation of that reality. As of 2010, one study showed that the total property value within 800 feet of the river shoreline in Chicago was about $10.2 billion.
The Chicago River also has a wide range of recreational value and associated economic impacts, from tour boats that ply the river's waters to canoeists and kayakers who use it for recreation. A study by a river advocacy group, The Friends of the Chicago River, determined that in 2005 over $7 million of economic activity was generated by paddling Northeastern Illinois's rivers, which included urban streams like the Chicago River.
Another way to consider the value of the Chicago River is as a piece or an example of urban nature-- a place in the city where you can encounter something besides the steel- and concrete-built environment. It's undeniable, too, that having an encounter with a river, whether standing by it and looking at it or even taking a canoe ride on the water itself, changes one's perception, not just of the river, but of the city itself.
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