When we celebrate the new year in 2050 \u2014 if we are fortunate enough \u2014 we will be in our 90s, and our four grandchildren will be approaching age 30. Our hope is to see Chicago celebrated in headlines for its vibrancy \u2014 a city attracting new residents, welcoming immigrants, generating economic opportunity citywide and offering meaningful paths forward for the next generation.<\/p>\n
We also hope Chicago remains a place where young people, including our grandchildren, choose to live or move to and build their lives.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubt that Chicago today already offers unmatched culture, diversity, architecture, neighborhoods and, most importantly, energetic and creative people. But cities are not static. How Chicago evolves will depend on the choices made by the Chicagoans of today. Will you choose to stay and engage in civic life? Will you choose to contribute your talent, leadership, creativity and time to strengthening the city around you?<\/p>\n
One important trend since COVID-19 is that many business and civic leaders are no longer tied to place and community in the way they once were. Technology has made it possible to work from almost anywhere. That flexibility brings real benefits, but it also raises a serious question: What happens to cities such as Chicago if too many people opt out of committing to where they live?<\/p>\n
We want to make the case to current and future leaders that choosing a place \u2014 and choosing to invest in it \u2014 is fulfilling and still matters deeply. And we believe with all our hearts that Chicago is worth that commitment.<\/p>\n
Only one of us grew up in Illinois, but we both have spent our adult lives here, raised our children here and built our careers here. We know how fortunate we have been. Chicago gave us far more than professional opportunity. It gave us community, perspective and a chance to contribute to something larger than ourselves \u2014 values that our parents instilled in both of us from an early age.<\/p>\n
I, Bryan, had the privilege of being a medical doctor, caring for patients from every part of the city and across every economic background. Those patients entrusted their health, but they also shared their life stories \u2014 their journey, hopes, worries, humor and resilience. Those daily human connections and oral histories were profoundly enriching and reinforced a core truth that Chicago\u2019s greatest strength lies in its people.<\/p>\n
I, Penny, dedicated more than 35 years in corporate leadership to building businesses, creating jobs, mentoring and supporting young talent. Helping early-career professionals grow in confidence and capability \u2014 and seeing what happens when people are given real opportunities and support \u2014 makes clear to us that talent exists everywhere, but access to opportunity simply does not.<\/p>\n
Outside of our professional lives, we are fortunate to have engaged deeply in civic life for more than five decades. That work has included strengthening schools, building and improving parks, establishing pathways that connect education to employment, supporting violence-prevention efforts and contributing to community-led economic development projects. We are proud to support and help launch initiatives such as the Chicago Prize<\/a>, Chicago Talent Challenge<\/a>, P33<\/a> and the Chicago Public Education Fund<\/a>, and to have served on boards of vital institutions and city governing bodies.\n<\/p>\n A common theme across these experiences is the privilege to work with strong, dynamic and principled leaders such as Andrea Saenz of The Chicago Community Trust, Arne Duncan of Chicago CRED, Juan Salgado of City Colleges of Chicago, Carlos Nelson of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp., Ayesha Jaco of West Side United and Brad Henderson of P33, as well as so many others who, through their leadership, have improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans. Working alongside people of that dedication and commitment is both inspiring and humbling.\n<\/p>\n The relationships we formed have enriched our lives.<\/p>\n We also understand that there is still work to do across our city. Chicago\u2019s public schools have improved, but far too many children are still being left behind. Violence has declined, but it continues to disproportionately affect communities on the South and West sides. Our city\u2019s political leadership must also confront deep structural and fiscal challenges that have been deferred for too long and be an example of smart, efficient government.<\/p>\n This essay is part of a series developed in collaboration with World Business Chicago wherein accomplished authors envision what Chicago could and should look like in 2050.<\/p>\n Indeed, progress is real \u2014 but it is incomplete. Anyone who chooses to engage in civic life must be willing to accept frustration alongside fulfillment. That is precisely why continued participation from individual to individual matters.<\/p>\n Today, Chicago stands at another pivotal moment. The city is at the beginning of major new investments and partnerships in quantum technology, artificial intelligence and clean energy. These sectors will shape our economy for decades. Whether they translate into broadly shared prosperity \u2014 or deepen existing inequities \u2014 will depend on the decisions we make now.<\/p>\n The next generation will determine whether these investments create inclusive pathways for local talent, connect effectively to our community colleges and universities and produce economic growth that reaches every neighborhood. That work cannot be done by institutions alone. It requires committed individuals who choose to show up.<\/p>\n There are many ways to participate with the intention of making our city better: Mentor a student, serve on a nonprofit board, contribute your expertise to a project, volunteer locally in schools and parks, build a company that employs fellow Chicagoans or support leaders doing essential work on the ground.<\/p>\n Engagement does not require perfection, nor does it require having all the answers. We certainly do not. But we do know this: The joy and meaning that come from contributing to a place you love are real and enduring. Choosing to stay and be involved is not only good for Chicago; it also is deeply rewarding for those who do it.<\/p>\n As we look to 2050, the architecture of Chicago\u2019s future is being written today. All we ask is this: Be part of writing this next chapter. Your voice, grit and commitment matter and will help shape what Chicago becomes. In doing so, you may be surprised by how much the city gives back in return.<\/p>\n Penny Pritzker is founder and chairman of PSP Partners. Bryan Traubert is chairman of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.<\/p>\n Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here<\/a> or email letters@chicagotribune.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When we celebrate the new year in 2050 \u2014 if we are fortunate enough \u2014 we will be…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":788339,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,289147,31006,5386,1818],"class_list":{"0":"post-788338","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-chicago-2050","10":"tag-civic-engagement","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-illinois"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116554963989880061","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}