Chicago
Chicago Coffee Shops Breaking Social and Economic Ground on the South Side
Cafes on the city's South Side are more than just businesses. They also provide important spaces for community building and economic development in neighborhoods that have been historically overlooked.
ICYMI: 12 States Hiked Gas Taxes on Monday
On July 1, Illinois and Ohio increased gas taxes by double digits: 19 cents per gallon and 10.5 CPG, respectively, followed by California at 5.6 CPG, all due to legislation passed this year or in 2017. Diesel tax hikes were even higher.
Hyperloop for the Great Lakes Gets Initial Blessing the U.S House of Representatives
The U.S. Senate still needs to approve the bill that would spend $5 million in initial funding for the Great Lakes Hyperloop System.
Two Chicago Neighborhoods—Same City, But Starkly Different Worlds
A dataset on health measures in U.S. cities shows the difference in life expectancy between two Chicago neighborhoods is 30 years.
The Congestion Pricing Movement Comes to Chicago
A large, powerful coalition of advocacy groups, local universities, and other organizations sent a letter to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to consider congestion pricing for single-occupant automobile trips in the city's core.
Editorial Board Calls for Tax Increment Financing Reform in Chicago
The Chicago Tribune says the city of Chicago can't be trusted with tax increment financing (TIF), so it's time for a do-over.
Polluted Chicago Water Travels Over 1,000 Miles and Wreaks Havoc in the Gulf
An algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in an oxygen-starved area the size of Massachusetts. Part of the problem is sewage runoff flowing south from Chicago.
The Case Against Aldermanic Control of Infrastructure Spending
Chicago’s alderman have control of millions of dollars of street resurfacing "menu money" for local projects. Inspector General Joe Ferguson argues that money would be better spent in a coordinated effort.
Op-Ed: Metra Expansion May Encourage Sprawl
The $45 billion transportation bill approved by the Illinois Legislature ended up including more public transit funding than it originally offered, but a Kendall County Metra project raises questions.
Immigration and Urban Growth
After growing in the first half of the decade, some cities might be losing population. Is this because of the pace of immigration has slowed?
Understanding Cities Through Their Life Cycles
Cities go through ups and downs over time, and where a city is in its longer history can reveal the reasons behind population changes.
Op-Ed: Good Design Isn't Just for Downtowns
Richard Driehaus attests to the importance of intentional, context-oriented design on the neighborhood level.
Many Contender Sites for Chicago Casino
The decision about where to locate a new casino project depends on competing goals—to maximize revenues or bring jobs and development to neighborhoods that need them.
O'Hare Tunnel, Proposed by Elon Musk, Looks Dead on Arrival in Chicago's New Political Regime
Advocates are relieved Elon Musk's proposal to build a new subterranean connection to O'Hare is dead, but still disappointed at the wasted brainpower and public funding devoted to the idea.
Less Paint, More Barriers, Make for Better Urban Cycling
New research from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico sheds light on how to make cities safer for cyclists and other road users and refutes some assumptions about bike safety, such as "safety-in-numbers."
The Many Nicknames for Chicago's Elevated Railway
The el/El/L debate has never been resolved, but the CTA says its usage is the correct one.
State Supreme Court Upholds Food Truck Regulations in Chicago
A question of whose business is suppressing whose in the city of Chicago was decided by the State Supreme Court.
The Threat of Urban Flooding in Chicago
Chicago residents living in low-lying parts of the city dread the rainfall that too often brings flooding.
Design Thinking Needs a Broader Perspective
A design-focused study of mode choice doesn’t consider the many ways people interact with and travel through urban environments.
Smart Cities Should Also Be Inclusive and Accessible Cities
The Inclusive Innovation Playbook provides guidance about how to create smart cities without leaving anyone behind.
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
