Economy
How Chicago Became the 'City of Spectacle'
A new book examines how Mayor Richard M. Daley transformed the city into a destination.
If cities are our laboratories of progress and democracy, and mayors are our most pragmatic and innovative leaders, former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is arguably one of the most important political leaders of our time.
In more than 22 years as mayor of Chicago, he oversaw and helped steward the city’s transformation from a city of urban and economic decline to a city of economic rebirth and ambition. A masterful politician and master city-builder, he ushered in a raft of iconic projects of which Millennium Park, Navy Pier, and the Museum Campus are just the most notable.