138 Years Ago Tonight: A New Theory on The Great Chicago Fire

The newest theory on what caused the Great Chicago Fire to start at 9:40 pm on Sunday, October 8th is a meteor shower. Eyewitnesses in the Midwest saw balls of fire falling from the sky that night. A scientist believes a meteor broke up over the vicinity of Lake Michigan, creating the conflagration in Chicago, Peshtigo WI, Port Huron MI and Champagne IL. The Peshtigo fire caused more deaths than any other fire in US history! For a major city, Chicago's casualties (about 200-300) were small in comparison. I like amaze my friends with the ironic fact that the Chicago Firemen Academy is built on the site of the source of the fire, which is the actual address of Mrs. O'Leary's barn (where the meteor fragments hit). One of only five buildings in Chicago to survive the fire is St. Michael's in Old Town (pix). I can see clock tower from my dining room window, which is always a soothing sight.

In those days, this was a big global story. Queen Victoria was moved and donated books to build a new library. IThe spirit of the "city that works," our motto, was clearly exemplified by old man Potter Palmer, the richest man in town. His new hotel that had been opened for a mere 13 days, the Palmer House, burned that night. He quickly rebuilt a new Palmer House, shifting Chicago's commerce section from the old Lake Street district to that great street, "State Street."

Somehow I think the Chicago business community will have the same sprited rebound after the disappointment of losing the Olympic bid.

Chicago 3rd Largest Twitter Location

It must be the "O" effect. A report issued on the State of the Twittersphere places Chicago as the 3rd most popular Twitter location ins the world (LA nad London rank higher).

Why would Chicago be placing so high? Well the report does say English speaking cities twitter more. But I think it must also be due to Obama and Oprah, as well as other local media figures like Richard Roeper and Jerry Taft (ABC local weatherman) who started using Twitter earlier this year. Interestingly, David Armano, formerly of Critical Mass here in Cgo, is one of the top 25 Twitterati in Chicago (he sure tweets a lot!).

America: The Great ReSet

If you haven't read the March issue of the Atlantic: How the Crash Will Reshape America--listen to the author. Richard Florida, writer and theorist, was interviewed recently on NPR about how the global economic crash will reshape America. Highlights:

As America continues to move to mega regions, geographic corridors of economic vitality, cities that anchor mega regions, are the future. We simply cannot afford the expansion of suburbs, not because of money but the cost of time. Strategy: connect declining cities to mega regions (i.e., Detroit can become connected to Chicago and Toronto with high-speed rail).

Solution to economic recovery? Make housing and transportation cheaper. To thrive in the new knowledge economy? Stay competitive with a global geographic structure? Become less costly in time and economic resources. A reset of our economy will come from a new way of living. Suburbanization is the old model, fueled by the old industrial society (we bought cars, houses, refrigerators, based on this model.

Demand for new consumption in mega regions will come from high density mega regions, built on a new American Dream. Right now people are spending 50% of income for housing and transportation, when the mix should be 31-38% of income. The single family home is a privilege and a dream of the past. Renting will be the new economic reality, with a workforce that is flexible to be able to move where the jobs are--untethered by mortgages.

The world is not flat(aka Thomas Friedman). It's Spikey. These spikey regions account for 20% of world pop but represent 40% of GDP... and 9 out of 10 innovations.

Chicago is a mega region that will thrive. In the new era, "ChiPit"—runs0geographically from Chicago-Detroit-Cleveland-to Pittsburgh. Pittsburg is considered by Florida as a model, where it took a generation of civic and corporate vision and investment to bring the old industrial economy back. What about Detroit? Fabulous universities, Wayne State and U of Michigan—it will take a generation to rebuild assets. Back in the 1940's, Detroit was a top 5 US City. Today, it can’t has to reposition, and its great U's will be instrumental. Detroit has to connect with it’s mega-region hubs, like Chicago and Toronto. It will become a suburb to the metropolis, just like Wash DC has become a suburb or NYC. News and media from NYC relocated because it was affordable and easily connected to NYC, reigniting DC.

The future is now. Talented people who are mobile are going to geographic centers like Chicago—regional centers of the new knowledge-driven economy. I'm so thankful I'm a Chicagoan and urbanista! Yet I know as an ad guy, I helped fuel the last twenty years of consumerism. So where does that leave us, the ad industry, in terms of the Great ReSet?

New Wind Blowing in Chicago

Today's NYTimes article speaks to the reinvigorated spotlight on the city, and noted that the term, "Second City," was first coined by the New Yorker in 1952. I've been mulling around the idea that this is a time of renaissance for the city (as I write, Mayor Daley is meeting in Turkey for the Olympic bid.) Austin's renaisssance occured during the Bush admin, so it seems likely that Chicago's cultural capital will grow. Wonder if we'll see movie-folk take up second residences here. From the article:

Scott Turrow:

"It seems like there are eight million people walking around here congratulating each other. Chicagoans are unbelievably proud of Barack and feel of course that he’s ours, because he is.”

Rick Bayless:

“We’re not Little Rock and we’re not Texas...It’s easy to put on your cowboy boots and eat all that barbecue. You can’t do that from Chicago. We’ve got a lot of muscle and it’s far too complex of a place for that.”

Jeff Tweedy:

“I think people really do enjoy the idea that we’re living in the center of the world all of the sudden,” Mr. Tweedy said. “There have been all these prevailing stereotypes, and people don’t know how big and urban Chicago actually is. People think of it as being in a cornfield.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/fashion/20chicago.html?pagewanted=1&em

A new word for our culture

The cover of today's Sun Times introduced new language into our culture: Windy City White House. It has a memorable ring, with the alliterative "whi" sounds offering potential for stickiness in our culture.

Perhaps this will become a word-of-the-year for 2008. For the past several years, the American Dialect Society votes upon a word-of-the-year. The words from the recent years are like little time capsules of where culture was going for those given years. Could Windy City White House be a cultural sign post?

2007 Subprime
2006 Plutoed
2005 Truthiness
2004 Red state, blue state, purple state
2003 Metrosexual
2002 Weapons of mass destruction

A brief return to optimism?

These congratulations signs are posted around City Hall, courtesy of da Mayor. Makes me happy to see them.

Yesterday, I was reflecting how happy I feel about where the country can be going--probably the first solidly optimistic feelings I've had since 9-11. The TV spinmeisters were also alluding to the same thing. Optimism is a defining value of America--something that hasn't been a part of the national psyche for some time.

Urban Gardening

Fast Company profiles the trends of a renowned trendist I had never heard of....Lidewij Eldelkoort of Trend Union. One major prediction for the future is Urban Agriculture, where urban landscapes will produce food--perhaps even better food--than rural areas. This is already at work in small scale among some cities of the world. After a trip to Germany, Mayor Daley was inspired during to build bee hives on City Hall in 2003. The Paris Opera also has hives on the roof and a fresh fish pond in the basement.

Today in Chi-town, we can buy "Rooftop Honey" at the Randolph Street Farmer's Market. Just think, honey from flaura in the loop and lake areas. Experts consider the honey to be some of the best in the world, light and delicate in flavor.

Birdseye view on history

=

My office is within steps of all-things Obama. I'm overlooking Millenium Park, where the victory celebration will take place. Helicopters are buzzing, at level with my office window. Did some reconnaisance at the Fairmont Hotel where Biden is staying. Saw a lot of guys in white shirts and suits-- secret service detail. There is defintely a buzz in the city, as we expect to send a son of Illinois to the White House. It's been over a hundred years since Illinois had a Pres in the White House--unless you count Reagan, who was born here but was elected from California.