The city’s transit agency is undertaking its biggest expansion ever to finally bring rail to the South Side.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is making a close to $2 billion investment in the system’s largest expansion ever, reports Zach Mortice in The Architect’s Newspaper.
The plan aims to fill gaps in the city’s transit system and promote transit-oriented development (TOD) by bringing rail to the South Side. “The city’s goals are to use transit to increase housing access, aid local businesses, promote local cultural assets, and promote wellness.”
The extended Red Line will use primarily elevated tracks, with no intersections with existing roadways. According to the article, of the 86 parcels bought by the city for the project, less than half are single-family homes, and many of them are vacant. “The Federal Transit Administration New Starts grant of $1.97 billion will be delivered by 2024, providing more than half of the project’s $3.6 billion budget. Local funding comes from a $950 million transit tax-increment financing fund.”
The city is targeting areas around the new stations for development, with transit as a catalyst. “Most notably, the station at 111th Street is planned as an anchor for the Roseland Medical District, a multipurpose health campus surrounding the 100-year-old Roseland Community Hospital, a few blocks away.” For residents of the far South the CTA says Side who commute to the Loop, the Red Line extension will save them roughly 30 minutes per trip.
FULL STORY: CTA’s largest-ever expansion reaches out to fulfill a transit gap

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont