Chicago Public Transportation and Social Safety Net

Economic Hardship in Chicago:
An interactive data mapping Chicago Public Transportation (CTA) in relation to social safety net, economic recession and poverty in the City of Chicago. 

The Chicago maps showing poverty levels and public transportation (CTA) emerged as part of a larger capstone project entitled The Fraying of Chicago’s Social Safety Net by Christopher Whitaker with Dr. Marco Tavanti's Integrative Seminar for the School of Public Service in Spring 2012. The study analyzed data on the economic recession's effect on Chicago’s social safety net. The interactive map of the social safety net showcases where services are available. The map includes payment history from the State of Illinois and City of Chicago showing the extent of budget cuts to the social service non-profit sector. This map also include demographic information showing poverty, food insecurity, and income levels for each ward. Together, this data is used to showcase how the social safety net has frayed over the course of the recession. One of the effects of the recession has been that long-term unemployment has increased demand for social services while at the same time private and public funding for non-profits decreases. This financial strain causes government facilities to close and non-profit providers to shut down operations. This project demonstrate where needs have greatly increased while social safety providers have closed facilities

Access the interactive map here:

http://www.ctapovertymap.org