Architecture critic Blair Kamin bemoans the misplaced opulence of the many mansions that have popped up in classic Chicago neighborhoods over the last couple of years.
Huge mansions have crept into Chicago neighborhoods. The city can hardly complain about the increased tax revenue, but many feel that the mansions are out of place in traditional neighborhoods of single-family homes and modest apartment buildings.
"Most cities would kill to have billionaires and multi-millionaires putting down this kind of change instead of fleeing to the 'burbs. Besides raising property values and the tax base, the homes present an undeniable sign that this part of Chicago is highly desirable. It's just that they're killing off the architectural style and urban substance that once made this area so attractive."
Read the full story: Exercises in isolationism
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
'This is going to be painful:’ Virginia stares down $1.7 billion funding gap for highway maintenance
The state may address the deficit by shifting $290 million from its construction budget to maintenance projects.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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