What does the (new) new economy mean for Chicago

I was reading an article in the June issue of Wired. One of the many touch points was how businesses of tomorrow will not be the hulking, bloated, top down giants we are used to, but rather nimble, interchangeable, low-drag companies that wont crash the entire economy if they happen to fail. I love progress, especially when it creates new jobs, financial stability and educes innovation.

However, what does this mean for Chicago architecture? What will happen to our great skyline, and other skylines when the giants that once needed all the 50 story, AAA rated, office buildings are gone. Will our skylines stall, frozen in time like steel, glass and concrete monoliths from a bygone era? Who will fill up the Sears (yeah yeah) Tower when there are no more Willis Insurance companies to fill them up?

If Wired's predictions are correct and we will have a slew of startups and fewer mega corps, then what will this mean for urban sprawl? If you look at Chicago from even some of the highest views in Google Earth, it looks like a giant gray urban octopus, spiraling off the bottom of Lake Michigan. Some even consider Chicago a mega region that extends past Illinois and that's today. What about tomorrow when you have far more smaller companies that can't afford downtown Chicago?

Will these startups even be in the Midwest? It doesn't take an economic crash and the virtual collapse of Detroit to see that the technology sector and big pharma are going to be dominating the playing field for years to come. If you believe The Milken Institutes's map of top tech cities Chicago ranks #14 on the list of fifty hot spots. California has five cities ranked higher and we barely beat Toronto. I know these lists are often times arbitrary and most are non scientific city vs. city bash fests, but deep down we all know there is some grain of truth to them. I've touched on this before in previous blog postings, but I think it's time to take a fresh look at these ideas now that it seems there is some light at the end of this very dark economic tunnel.

In addition to some of things I've written about before, such as city wide WiFi, leading clean energy, genetic research and same sex marriage, I think there are some key lessons we can learn from Detroit, the economic meltdown and the possible future of business. Just like Detroit being in the position of being able to rewrite the automotive game (assuming they can get their act together) What other games are there that Chicago can rewrite and capitalise upon? Again, I say clean energy and genetics. The world's need for energy will exponentially increase as time goes on and the population goes up. As will diseases and the need to combat them.

The windows to capture these markets is closing fast, now is the time to create the right conditions to grow these businesses. I say, raise the gas tax instead of the income tax, this will promote a more centralized, city focused, anti sprawl mindset, and with the governments push for HSR, it's the right time. Sales and income taxes must be lowered, this shortsightedness is forcing people out of the city and out of the state. Quinn, if your listining, you got the wrong idea. Start by allowing legal unions between same sex couples. If Chicago is going to be the leader in any field, we have to be able to draw in the best tallent, and by denying basic civil rights to certain people we are limiting the chances of that tallent to want to move here. Let California seem like the close minded state, we'll gladly take their tax payers and tallent. Citywide WiFi and green transportation, green roofs and finishing up the last 4 miles will be the icing on top of the pervervbial cake.

Is Chicago up to these changes? Will we roll with the coming punches or will we become just another rust belt ghost town?