While it faces serious challenges, Waukegan has substantial strengths and tremendous opportunities for rebirth. As the government seat of Lake County, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, Waukegan has the ability to attract young professionals who would enjoy close proximity to the Lake Michigan shore, the accompanying activities, and the affordable housing that has become increasingly hard to find elsewhere in the county. Waukegan has a rich cultural tradition that offers the kind of artistic opportunities and multicultural experiences that only a true city can provide. And there remain many pockets of safe, stable neighborhoods scattered throughout the city where homeowners, regardless of economic level, maintain their properties in immaculate condition. An increase in these pockets to a critical mass could permanently reverse a trend toward blight, and provide a nucleus that would attract responsible property owners and boost commercial redevelopment.

Waukegan's midsize status may make it less competitive for federal programs and media attention, but its size is advantageous in meeting challenges and solving problems. Major urban centers present problems and challenges on such an overwhelming scale that real solutions often seem out of reach. But in a city of 85,000 – a real city with the same diversity, the same challenges, the same strengths and weaknesses as the big cities – solutions can be created and can become visible. A model can emerge for other communities to tailor to their own needs. Waukegan can be the place where citizen action has transformed a city, where residents from all ethnic and economic backgrounds have taken a stand together, have dug in their heels and gone to work, and have brought their city back from urban decay to health ad prosperity. It is only because of aggressive citizen involvement, the willingness of TOWN's attorneys to work for minimal compensation and the court's cooperation in enforcing state laws, that significant improvements to many Waukegan neighborhoods have been achieved. All segments of the city's population have been active in these legal proceedings –blacks, whites, Hispanics, business owners, home owners, social service agencies and community groups. Even a Waukegan alderman became a plaintiff in a TOWN-inspired legal action when the city's code enforcement department was unable to solve a lead poisoning problem in his neighborhood.

But even more important than the tangible results are the intangible benefits. TOWN has sent the message to Waukegan residents that – regardless of ethnic or economic background – they have the right to live in neighborhoods that are decent and healthy, and in buildings that conform to acceptable standards of safety. Pressure has been put on city officials to increase the quantity and quality of code enforcement, and when they are non-responsive, the citizens have a powerful private mechanism to improve their neighborhoods. A new sense of hope, empowerment and teamwork have come to Waukegan.