An effort is underway to reintroduce a natural habitats along a stretch of postindustrial Chicago River canal-scape. Floating garden modules are being used to attract species back to the area.

Chicago's Shedd Aquarium and Urban Rivers have joined forces to implement what Patrick M. O'Connell calls "the beginning of a vision to turn the old industrial channel on Goose Island's eastern edge into a 'wild mile,' an eco-park of floating plants, wetlands, kayak piers and public walkways."
Shedd's floating garden plan calls for the addition of "260 square feet of native plants such as swamp rose mallow, marsh marigold, Dudley's rush and queen-of-the-prairie to the 1,500 square feet installed a year ago by Urban Rivers."
While the design is "wildlife-first," it also promises to rejuvenate the former industrial district for human use. "With people now flocking to the banks of the river downtown along the booming Riverwalk, the Urban Rivers and Shedd projects are designed to boost the river habitat while delivering appealing, accessible experiences to the more industrial, less trafficked stretches of the river."
FULL STORY: A 'wild mile' on the Chicago River? It might be closer than you think

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie