Greg...
This Old House had a single series dedicated to remodeling a Chicago code home.
The general style:
Lots of vertical drops -- strapping, per the NEC, was highly optional. (!)
The framing would normally be stepped out from any basement wall -- typically 1.5-2.0" so it was no trouble to get your horizontals across, in a flash.
In the ceilings, it was customary to provide cross-furring so that there was every opportunity to run pipe in one gap or the other -- with strapping an absolute breeze.
When it was impossible to get the pipe back from the surface, there was no hesitation to throw in the occasional stick of GRC/RMC.
The relaxed strapping permitted the EMT to fly into the home.
In the case of the remodel, the actual scope of pipe work was stunningly modest. They simply added on a run, here and there, and then ran new wires. For the runs involved, the old work became pull lines -- and then scrap.
So no fishing time to speak of. They were big into stranded, too.
Only rarely did the boys run anything bigger than 1/2." In a three wire system you can get four hots and two/four neutrals in one pipe. These are short runs, and the number of bends is modest.
The consequent speed of these pipe runners is astounding.
The additional thicknesses of the various walls provides for more insulation -- of which Chicago can certainly use.
