As it wraps up the first stage of a community planning progress, Alan G. Brake checks in on the latest designs for Chicago's answer to the High Line.
At three miles, the High Line's midwestern cousin is nearly double its length. That's not all that will set apart the Bloomingdale Trail, Chicago's elevated rail line, as it transitions into a public park and recreational path. "The project is much more earth-bound than its New York predecessor with
direct connections to the city's sidewalks and neighborhood parks
system," writes Brake.
Furthermore, because the project is being funded largely through federal transportation
funds, it must accommodate cyclists as well as pedestrians. The planning team, which includes ARUP, Ross Barney Architects, and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, have worked to adress the bicycle/pedestrian interface, and other challenges in this first phase of design, which will result in a "framework plan."
According to Brake, with the first phase of the Trail scheduled to open in 2014, "a new team will take over the final design for the Parks District, with only MVVA continuing on."
Read the full story: Bike on By
QueensWay: NYC’s Next High Line?
After 5 decades of abandonment, and recent inspiration from the much-lauded High Line, a rusty railway stretching three-and-a-half miles through central Queens may become NYC’s next elevated greenway.
All Aboard for Chicago's Massive Rail to Trail Conversion
Lisa Donovan reports that the city of Chicago has plugged a $9 million shortfall in funding required to begin construction on the long-anticipated Bloomingdale Trail project.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority