Chicago Aldermen are considering an ordinance to outlaw street performances audible from more than 20 feet away, but in a segregated city, some fear that a quieter downtown might be more unwelcoming.
It's not uncommon to hear the sound of drum sticks slamming against plastic buckets on downtown streets. Teams of "bucket boys," usually young African-American men, play for passers by on white five gallon pails in some of the city's most touristy streets. But these performances may become illegal soon if some Chicago Alderman pass a city law they've drawn up. "The ordinance, introduced by Ald. Brendan Reilly (Ward 42) would have prohibited the emission of "noise" by performers that can be heard within 20 feet on two of downtown's busiest stretches," reports Stephen Gossett for Chicagoist.
While Gosset and the Red Eye have published articles supporting street performers, the Tribune wrote in support of the ordinance, suggesting that street performers are more a nuisance than an asset. But Gosset writes, "Chicago's vibrant and imaginative busker tradition is worth honoring and we should be careful about indiscriminately curbing so many voices." Having seen the many ways in which the city has gotten in its own way, curbing rather than encouraging what should be a walkable engaging city, I completely agree.
Read the full story: In Defense Of Bucket Boys, Street Performers & Creative 'Noise'
Chicago Could Lose the Blues
An editorial in Crain's suggests that by not taking full advantage of its history with the Blues, Chicago is wasting a precious cultural resource and missing an opportunity for tourism dollars.
Street Performers: Nuisance or Necessity?
With its eclectic music scene, Asheville, North Carolina is a popular spot for street musicians. They can bring a vibrancy the town might suffer without. But some residents fear a rise in panhandling and homelessness.
A ‘shady’ deal: Chicagoans rally against planned Amtrak maintenance facility
The $900 million facility would allow Amtrak to maintain entire trains in one building, which the company says will reduce delays.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
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 DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello