Illinois

Chicago's Metro is closing down its rolling taverns- not for reasons of temperance, but because they need the room for the growing number of rail commuters.

A new report from the Metropolitan Planning Council pegs the annual cost of congestion to the Chicago region at $7.3 billion.

Olympics-related construction in Beijing has impressed many, but does little to make the city a better place. Architecture critic Blair Kamin says Chicago needs to be careful about not repeating China's mistakes if it hosts the games in 2016.

Author Alan Ehrenhalt says that conditions are ripe for the permanent return of downtown residential neighborhoods, and that a "demographic inversion" has already begun in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, DC, among other cities.

A non-profit group in Chicago wants to open a museum dedicated to American public housing in the Former Public Housing Authority Building.

The Chicago Transit Authority has announced plans to remove all the seating from some of its rush hour trains in order to deal with increased demand.

The American Society of Landscape Architects has awarded the Lurie Garden in Chicago's Millennium Park with it's highest honor.

More than 2 million people are expected to be added to the metropolitan Chicago region by 2030, and water supplies may not be able to keep up. Officials are trying to find a solution.

Chicago's Loop is becoming a hot neighborhood.

The Chicago Tribune examines what became of an ambitious city project, led by Mayor Daley, to revolutionize public housing. Private developers received public funding to tear down old projects and replace them with mixed-use neighborhoods.

As part of a plan to utilize the city's rainwater and recycle it back to lake Michigan, Chicago has been renovating its 13,00 alleys to become permeable surfaces, where rainwater can soak back into the ground. 40 alleys have been redone so far.

Transit officials in Chicago are calling on the city to rebuild its historic streetcar system. Rails still exist on many streets, but city officials are leaning away from streetcars and towards bus rapid transit.

Flood waters along the Mississippi River continue to rise, leaving many Midwest towns deep under water. The Army Corps of Engineers has just identified 27 levees that may not be high enough to handle the rising waters.

Oklahoma City residents used to 70-mile commutes are turning to carpooling as gas hovers at $4 a gallon. But with the largest land area of any U.S. city, providing public transit remains a major challenge.

Chicago has come in second-to-last place in the selection of finalists seeking to host the 2016 Olympics. The city's bid was criticized for not having a strong transportation plan.

A peaceful suburb wanting to preserve its tranquility is pitted against a large rail company attempting to lessen freight congestion around Chicago by running its trains through it and other suburbs on an existing rail line it hopes to purchase.

Fast Company highlights Chicago and London, their picks for U.S. and Global Cities of the Year, respectively. Whatever you think of the way such lists come together, these are interesting profiles of two vibrant municipalities.

Gina Olszowski's first book focuses on the personal stories of rural residents impacted by sprawl.

One of Chicago's most famous streetscapes is threatened by proposed new towers.