Should UrbanPlanet have a Chicago Section?

[john_denver]

Yeah, Chicago is a big enough city. So much going on...

[marathon]

It is quite...fascinating...that Chicago doesn't have its own forum, especially when the likes of Pawtucket and Spartanburg do...

[ZachariahDaMan]

Yep, for some reason a lot of smaller cities have a ton of people here even though there are places like Chicago, L.A. and NYC that don't have many.

[FromCityToRural]

Chicagoland definitely needs its own board. I don't live there and have only been there twice, but I like the place a lot (that from a guy who doesn't like city life!) and enjoy learning about it. I even have a Chicago map up on my wall over my bed. Sad, ain't it?

[tamias6]

As big and powerful as Chi-town is, its kind of illogical not to give the Windy city its own forum. After all much smaller cities, like my home town of Grand Rapids, have very active forums of there own here on UP. So if GR can have its own forum so should Chicago.

[jp1631]

i say give it a try

[BHCav]

What would it hurt?

[tamias6]

Berhaps that's because all the happenings of Chicago is a overwhelming presence. Creating a forum for the Windy City might open up the rest of this forum to happenings going on in the rest of the state.

I don't think so, since Chicago makes up 85-90% of this forum's board posts.

[mcheiss]

If you form it, they will come...

[egrguy]

I voted yes. It seems like Chicago having its own forum would be a natural fit.

[detwaa84]

talks have been going on for two years about a seperate forum for Chicago. What's going on!!! Where is it.

[MJLO]

I'm not sure I see the need. Talks have been going on for two years you're right. And in those two years I haven't seen a single Illinois forumer. The Illinois traffic in here is made up almost entirely of Michigan forumers. I would be ok with it. But I say dedicate a forumer to running threads and driving traffic. It has to be a person who's ok with posting to themselves for weeeks on end. Alot of people say they want a forum to start, and when it does they keep working on it for a little bit. Then lose steam when it falters. So then the subforums sit largely Idle. I have strong feeling this would happen to the Chicago forum as well

For whatever reason, the countries Super cities don't do well on Urban Planet. They have the largest population centers, the largest cult like followings and yet little, if any dedicated forums. It's midsize cities that are transforming that do the best. Talahassee, Grand Rapids, on a larger scale Charlotte, Orlando. These cities are nowhere near the scale of Chicago. Prove me wrong, but I have not yet seen any reason to think that writing the code, and creating a Chicago forum wouldn't be a waste of time for the gods.

[cnordstrom]

Well, as a brand spanking new member of the site, and coincidentally a Chicagoan, I'd have to say the only reason you don't have more Illinois forumers is simply because there is nothing here about our city. I admit, I originally came on here and browsed because I was looking up some information on Grand Rapids (my old hometown), but trust me, I'd spend a LOT of time in a Chicago section if one existed.

I also agree with some of the earlier comments that you should add other cities in the state to your list. If you want to argue that Chicago doesn't fit here because the forums tend to focus on smaller cities, then I'd argue that Springfield, Evanston, the Quad Cities, and Peoria are all natural fits.

Right now, not including Chicago because "there are no Illinois forumers" is kind of like putting up a site dedicated to the Red Wings and then wondering why no Blackhawk fans are members. Trust me; Chicagoans are fanatical about skyscrapers and urban planning. As RestedTraveller said, "If you form it, they will come!"

[monsoon]

I will be glad to add a Chicago section or sections for the other cities in that metro if you guys would stay around and help get it started. Sometimes that means weeks with little response to threads until people notice that we have one. Any volunteers?

[egrguy]

I would certainly be willing to scour the web for relevant articles relating to Chicago, however, I think we really need to have some feet on the ground in the city for the photo updates. They seem pivotal to maintaining interest in a thread as people can watch the growth of a new skyscraper over time. Im disappointed that we can't get any regular updates on the Trump Tower, but maybe with a Chicago thread, we can attract some photographers in the area to post here.

[wolverine]

I guess I'm going to have to start posting development threads lol. If you create the forum, I can try posting some threads about some stuff so-as-long-as people respond to them.

[MJLO]

well Wolv, I guess I forgot you were doing school stuff or interning or whatever in Chicago. I can say if you were dedicated to helping drive discussion, i'd be willing to throw in my two cents here and there. I still contend that it'll be 90% GR forumers keeping it up.

[ZachariahDaMan]

yeah, hook us up with development going on in Chicago, Wolverine. Since you are always there.

[Allison Slater]

I'm hoping to visit chicago once a month now, so I can procide occasional photos at the low-quality my cell phone can provide =x

[H0wl]

It doesn't seem that the Chicago section gets much activity. I have been a member for a few days now and maybe 2 posts have been made in this section.

[monsoon]

Neo and I were talking about this just yesterday, that is, should we create a Chicago forum. Still not sure if it would help or not.

[GRguy]

I guess you can't force people to read it or to respond, so even if you create it, will they come?

[southlooper]

I guess you can't force people to read it or to respond, so even if you create it, will they come?

[Neo]

Yes, Chicago is a world class city, but only cities that have enough traffic here on UrbanPlanet.org warrant their own forums and that is the debate. I was once a resident of Chicago so I am aware of how much is going on in the city, but to have that traffic here is another story. We will create it without hesitation if we know there is enough traffic on these forums to warrant it, but otherwise it would stay stagnant.