When he took office last year, Rahm Emmanuel inherited a city in which a sheen of new projects hid a crumbling infrastructure. With a laundry list of initiatives, the mayor is intent on retaining the city's place amongst the world's great cities.
The capital of the Midwest for over a century, Chicago has been showing signs of its age for decades now. A much-needed face-lift is in order. Fortunately, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has made modernizing the city a priority. As Ed Pilkington of The Guardian reports, "[o]ver the next three years Emanuel will pump $7bn to bring the ageing city up to scratch."
The mayor's list of improvements include, "a massive upgrading of the underground water infrastructure, two new runways at O'Hare airport, an overhaul of subway stations, $660m investment in public schools, a rapid-transit bus system in the centre of the city and the first steps towards making Chicago the most bike-friendly city in the world." Perhaps most interesting is the plan to make all of downtown Chicago completely wireless, giving the city, already as the "broadband backbone of America..., a huge strategic advantage."
As cities increasingly face international competition, Emmanuel centers much of his ambition on rejuvenating what he calls "the most American of American cities."
"Should Emanuel succeed in implementing even a portion of his ambitions," writes Pilkington, "he will have written himself into the history books as one of a new generation of activist mayors grabbing American cities by the lapels and giving them a good shake."
FULL STORY: Chicago to get hyper-connected under Rahm Emanuel's grand Wi-Fi plan

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions