After a long period during which house prices were not affected by distance from Chicago's central business district, values now decline by more than 8 percent per mile. Annual appreciation rates in house prices are higher in neighborhoods close to the city center with large minority...

The number of subcenters in the Chicago metropolitan area rose from 13 in 1980 to 32 in 2000. Whereas manufacturing jobs dominated subcenters in the past, the industry mix now closely resembles that of the overall metropolitan area.

The author finds that Milwaukee has one employment subcenter, located at the western edge of the city. The subcenter has significant but highly localized effects on both employment and population densities in the Milwaukee area.