Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is once again pushing to eliminate aldermanic privilege after a federal racketeering case ensnarled local and state elected officials.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will push again to eliminate aldermanic prerogative despite overwhelming opposition from the electeds on the Chicago City Council, reports Fran Spielman for the Chicago Sun-Times (Spielman's reportage is based on statements delivered by the mayor on the WBBM-AM Radio program "At Issue").
Mayor Lightfoot cited the racketeering indictment of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan as evidence of the need for reforms of local zoning veto power—the story also involves the former chair of the city's zoning committee, Danny Solis.
"While working undercover, former zoning committee chair-turned-FBI-mole Danny Solis (25th) is accused of trying to use aldermanic prerogative over zoning for corrupt purposes on a land deal in Chinatown," reports Spielman. "The Madigan indictment accuses the former speaker of agreeing to transfer a state-owned parking lot in Chinatown to the city to clear the way for a commercial development in Solis’ ward. In exchange, the developer agreed to hire Madigan’s law firm for its property tax appeals, the indictment alleges."
Mayor Lightfoot is quoted in the article saying that the episode shows how susceptible aldermanic privilege is to corruption.
Aldermanic Obstruction Too Strong for Former Chicago Spire Site Plans
Developers Related Midwest have new plans for the infamously failed development site, but have so far been stymied by demands from the office of Alderman Brendan Reilly.
The Causes of California's Development Malaise
A spate of recent articles has taken a critical look at the regulatory obstacles to a progrssive planning vision in the state of California.
The Argument Against Accessory Dwelling Units
Facing the potential for accessory dwelling units to win swift legalization in Chicago inspires one columnist to push back.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)