High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at the University of Chicago, which has unofficially divided the city of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static. Census data are tied to the community areas, and they serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on both the local and regional levels. South Deering is the largest neighborhood out of all of the 77 community areas in the city.