I think that this an issue that citizens need to take into their own hands. The city has (or at least thinks it has) much more important issues to deal with. But I believe in a roots-up approach to dealing with crime and urban decay: if you eliminate the small things that are easy to change but also easy to ignore then it will be harder to let bigger issues like gangs and drugs on our streets slide. So as a result, the community has to step it. I have been thinking of spending a couple hours a week picking up trash myself around Hyde Park. Hopefully someone notices and is inspired and does not think they have a nanny who will pick up after them.

i think we need more trash cans too. that's half the problem. but also, people throw their trash in dumpsters, but if half falls out of the back on the way, no big deal, they just leave it in the alley and that trash gets spread to the parkways and the road. this especially a problem between 47th and 55th in hyde park (as I'm sure it is in most of chicago).

I have spent 2 hours per day picking up trash. I noticed that the garbage trucks drop trash as they empty the cans. I even pick up the trash that the garbage trucks create! Some of the neighbors have been inspired and they are also beginning to pick up trash.

Does this continue to be an issue? It's been over a year now.