This letter was first published in the Chicago Tribune. You can find the original here: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/31/letters-073125-lucas-museum/
The opposition to sensible housing policy along Broadway reveals an uncomfortable truth about how some view community membership. Opponents tout their credentials as longtime residents and neighborhood saviors. But I must ask: Does living here longer grant them veto power over decisions affecting thousands of current and future residents?
These longtime residents deserve credit for their community investments, but I fail to see how seven-story buildings along a busy commercial corridor next to the city’s highest-ridership “L” line will ruin anything. The increasing demand to live in Edgewater and Uptown is testament to the success of these investments. Denying potential residents the ability to benefit from these successes hurts everyone — we’re depriving ourselves of economic growth while denying housing to thousands who want to live in these amazing neighborhoods.
These opponents are going against broad community support for more housing. Hiring lawyers to block development through technicalities isn’t democracy — it’s using procedural tricks to override community will.
This is provincialism: putting narrow interests over the well-being of not just current residents, but also the entire city. Change is difficult, and protecting one’s community from perceived threats feels natural. But upzoning Broadway isn’t a threat — it’s an opportunity and a long-overdue investment needed to keep our communities affordable and accessible.
Who are we to deny others the right to live here simply because you got here first?”