Chicago may be blue, but it has relatively few regulation for housing compared with cities here. And the cost of labor is lower there than cities in CA.
Doesn't seem to prevent Japan from building skyscrapers. And excellent transit.
And real estate is very very expensive there too.
Actually, it’s not. Here is a great video (from a great channel) that explains why: https://youtu.be/iGbC5j4pG9w