Introduction : Chicago : neoliberal city / Euan Hague, Michael J. Lorr, and Carolina Sternberg -- Class and race-ethnicity in a changing city : a historical perspective on inequalities / Roberta Garner, Black Hawk Hancock, and Kenneth Fidel -- Metropolitan Chicago's geography of inequality / Costas Spirou and Larry Bennet -- Contemporary Chicago politics : myth, reality, and neoliberalism / Larry Bennett -- Urban sustainability and the "greening" of neoliberal Chicago / Michael J. Lorr -- Sports and blue-collar mythology in neoliberal Chicago / Sean Dinces and Christopher Lamberti -- Remaking Chicago's industrial spaces / Carrie Breitbach -- Becoming "Boystown" in neoliberal Chicago : a critical urban morphology of the North Halsted-Broadway corridor / Alex G. Papadopoulos -- Historic preservation in a neoliberal context : from the Medinah Temple to Bloomingdale's / Yue Zhang -- Neighborhood impacts of the foreclosure crisis / Martha Martinez -- The Chicago bid to host the 2016 Olympics : much promised, little learned / Larry Bennett, Michael Bennett, and Stephen Alexander -- Surveillance, security, and intelligence-led policing in Chicago / Rajiv Shah and Brendan McQuade -- Conclusion : Beyond neoliberal Chicago / Larry Bennett, Roberta Garner, and Euan Hague

The neoliberal philosophy of fiscal austerity aligned with reduced regulation has transformed Chicago. As pursued by mayor Rahm Emanuel and his predecessor Richard M. Daley, neoliberalism led officials to privatize everything from parking meters to schools, gut regulations and social services, and promote gentrification wherever possible. The essayists explore an essential question: how does neoliberalism work on the ground in today's Chicago? Contextual chapters explore race relations, physical development, and why Chicago embraced neoliberalism. Other contributors delve into aspects of the neoliberal vision, neoliberalism's impact on three iconic city spaces, and how events like the 2008 foreclosure crisis and the bid to attract the Olympic Games reveal the workings of neoliberalism