One man's "urban renewal" is another's "gentrification"

Alan Ehrenhalt has a great piece for The New Republic about flight into the city called "Trading Places," (it headlines this week's issue). The story provides a great survery, geographically and historically, with Chicago as a lead character. Fascinating stuff. Ehrenhalt, the executive editor at Governing magazine, hits a lot of the right notes, but misses a big one: $$$. As one commenter points out, cultural ferment doesn't happen when the artists — creative class, anyone? — can't live in the city. What do you, my fair Chicagoans, have to say? – Drake