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The big business of small trains: Why Chicago models are so popular internationally

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

Chicago’s transit system has international fans, and your commuter train might be an international influencer.

A Chicago Transit Authority train passes overhead near W Roscoe and Clark Streets
AP Photos
Global Cities

How Alinea wound up on so many global travelers' bucket lists

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

In the elite realm of haute cuisine where Alinea resides, the influence, name recognition, and drawing power of the restaurant extends well beyond Chicago to the dining capitals of the world.

Inside Alinea restaurant
Courtesy of Alinea
Global Economy

As the Chicago Auto Show ramps up, its longtime point man looks back

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

Dave Sloan retires after this year's McCormick Place confab. In an exclusive chat, he reflects on how this car biz showpiece has changed — and how it's kept Chicago on the industry's global map.

The entrance of the Chicago Auto Show with a large globe hanging over the crowd.
Crain's Chicago Business
Global Economy

Living passports: How tattoos ink Chicago's cultural connections

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

For more than a century, tattoo artists have connected Chicagoans with other countries and cultures — a tradition that lives on, even as the industry changes.

1930s Browsheets with flash tattoo designs at Great Lakes Tattoo
AJ Caughey
Global Cities

Another effect of the migrant crisis: a 'golden visa' crunch

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

The flood of impoverished migrants camping in Chicago awaiting government processing for asylum has put a roadblock up in front of a very different class of hopeful immigrants.

Migrants raise their hands to take the oath of citizenship
iStock
Migration

Cities around the world charge to drive in certain downtown areas. Could Chicago follow?

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ChicagoGlobal by Nicole L. Cvetnic

Hailed as a way to reduce traffic and pollution and to improve city transit systems, cordon pricing exists in several cities around the world. Could it work in Chicago?

Traffic on I-90 with a Metra commuter train crossing overhead
AP Photos
Global Cities

Q&A: Hispanic business owners see migrant influx as an opportunity for growth

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ChicagoGlobal by H. Lee Murphy

"In 20 years, I’m betting that Texas will feel sorry that they shipped these workers away," says Jaime Di Paulo, president of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

A person wearing a scarf and a hat with "Chicago" on it
AP Photos
Migration

How pedestrian malls are revitalizing downtowns around the world — and helping Chicago's Loop (again)

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ChicagoGlobal by Isaiah Reynolds

The decline of Chicago's central business corridor has made the future of downtown foot traffic and storefronts uncertain. Following models from international peers, Chicago may find that reinvesting in pedestrian malls is an effective path for urban revitalization.

People dancing at Sundays on State
Chicago Loop Alliance
Global Cities

Chicago's Kyrgyz community is growing, and so is its economic impact

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ChicagoGlobal by AJ Caughey

The Kyrgyz community in Chicagoland is small, but its economic footprint is expanding. New Kyrgyz businesses in the service industry, logistics, and shipping are bridging Illinois and Central Asia.

Kyrgyz flags waving in the sky
AP Photos
Global Cities

Year in Review: 2023 in Public Opinion

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Running Numbers by Libby Berry

Over the past 12 months, our pollsters tracked public attitudes on everything from the war in Ukraine to conflict in the Middle East.

The 2023 New Year's Eve numerals are displayed in Times Square,
AP Photos
Public Opinion