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Millennium City: Richard M. Daley & Global ChicagoMain MenuChicago in 1989Richard M. DaleyA Livable CityDiversity and NeighborhoodsGlobal ChicagoInto the MillenniumAboutComplete Interviews and TranscriptsBiographies of and links to each full-lenth interview and corresponding transcript.Larissa Mukundwa0c6cb03c337751b5774fa39d09352cf04aec006eDan Harpereff3db32ed95b3efe91d381826e2c10c145cd452University of Illinois at Chicago Library
Graffiti Blasters
1media/EXH_RMD16_01_0313_0007_018_thumb.jpg2020-06-25T14:28:35-05:00Anonymous56Mayor Richard M. Daley's Graffiti Blasters program, 1990s. EXH_RMD16_01_0313_0007_018. From scrapbook, "City of Chicago, 1989-1997: Highlights of Eight Great Years, circa 1997." Richard M. Daley papers, University of Illinois Chicago Library, box 1-313, folder 7.plain2021-01-26T14:59:16-06:001990; 1991; 1992; 1993; 1994; 1995; 1996; 1997; 1998; 1999Dan Harpereff3db32ed95b3efe91d381826e2c10c145cd452
Daley made addressing eyesores a priority. He took steps to convert hazardous "brownfields," reduce abandoned cars and buildings, and rid Chicago of graffiti. Those efforts made the city look nicer, strengthened property values, and appeared to fight crime.
Brownfields
Brownfields were abandoned industrial properties in the city that were unsightly and environmentally dangerous. Mayor Daley's administration took an active role in cleaning up those sites.
See scenes from a tour of a brownfields site the mayor made in 1996:
Abandoned cars and buildings
William Daley explains why abandoned cars were such a problem and how his brother, the mayor, addressed it:
Abandoned buildings posed a problem similar to abandoned cars. Chicagoans believed them to be detrimental to property values and invitations to crime.
Gery Chico, Daley’s chief of staff (1992-1993), discusses the problem and how the city addressed it:
Graffiti blasters
In 1993, Daley implemented his Graffiti Blasters program. Its purpose was to clean new instances of graffiti as quickly as possible.
