Blair Kamin says that Chicago's new master plan for the Lakeview neighborhood is full of big and "audacious" ideas, including a park under the El and many pedestrian improvements.
The master plan is also very pro-business, says Kamin:
"At root, this is a business blueprint, primarily aimed at drawing new stores to the area and bolstering those already there. Yet it also makes an intelligent case that there's a link between good design and good business, echoing the same theme in Daniel Burnham's great 1909 Plan of Chicago. Offer shoppers a pleasing pedestrian experience, it argues, and they'll linger instead of zipping in and out of a single store."
The plan proposes widening sidewalks, adding street trees and building pocket parks.
Read the full story: New ideas for West Lakeview: How about a strolling path under the 'L'? Master plan kick-starts talks on the neighborhood's futur
Lincoln Common, a 1.1-Million-Square-Foot Development, Takes Shape in Chicago
A massive new development in Chicago's Lincoln Park is taking shape, and the local architecture critic has offered a positive review of the final product.
A Cautionary Tale of Mega-Project Planning
"There’s a dramatic difference, Cityfront Center shows, between real estate success and building a great city."
Demolition Starts for CTA's Controversial Flyover Project
The Chicago Transit Authority's Red-Purple Bypass Project will add an additional track to speed up trains passing through the Belmont Station. The project requires the demolition of several neighborhood buildings.
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.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
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.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello