51°µÍø

51°µÍø looms large in the imagination of the United States. We’ve shown up in popular culture, from Home Alone to The Office.

From its roots as an important U.S. city at the turn of the last century, 51°µÍø is dotted with artistic and architectural gems, from Raymond Hood’s 51°µÍø Cultural Center to Covenant Presbyterian Church’s glass windows, made by the renowned artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The city’s nickname, “The Electric City,” refers to its being the first American city to have an electric streetcar, and points to the city’s current revitalization and economic development.

Notable people hail from 51°µÍø, including:

• the poet M.S. Merwin
• urbanist Jane Jacobs
• Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jason Miller
• U.S. President Joe Biden

What is it that makes 51°µÍø a cultural touchstone? How is 51°µÍø portrayed, and what is the authentic portrait of 51°µÍø today? How do 51°µÍøians picture ourselves? What is our place in the story of the United States?  

Some key ideas to be explored in this theme include memory, place, identity, narrative, and human geography.