Chicago

Man on bike looking back at camera with black car blocking bike lane in front of him.

Chicago Pilot Would Keep Bike and Bus Lanes Clear — Without the Police

A proposal supported by many city officials and road safety advocates would shift right-of-way enforcement to ‘Rapid Response Aides’ to free up police resources and clear blocked lanes more quickly.

September 7, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Color-coded map in shades of red of Chicago neighborhoods based on lead water lines.

84% of Chicago's Pipes Contain Lead — and They're Not Equally Distributed

The city’s Black and Latino communities are most impacted, but the issue is widespread across the city’s water distribution network.

September 2, 2025 - Inside Climate News

People waiting at a Chicago bus stop.

Chicago Transit Authority Plans to Banish ‘Ghost Buses’

The CTA is implementing changes to its tracking technology that will more accurately display bus arrival times and track bus reroutes and delays.

August 14, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Silver Chicago train passing by dense high-rise buildings on elevated track.

Chicago Eliminates Parking Minimums Near Transit

Changes to a city ordinance make it easier to build ‘by-right’ car-free developments near train stations and pave the way for more affordable housing.

July 23, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Small oundabout with plants on neighborhood street.

Chicago Has Quietly Built Hundreds of Neighborhood Traffic Circles

Thanks largely to one alderperson’s efforts, the city has made mini-roundabouts a key piece of its road safety strategy.

July 17, 2025 - WBEZ

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Close-up of red Amtrak Borealis train at station.

Amtrak’s Borealis Exceeds First Year Ridership Expectations

205,800 passengers have boarded the St. Paul to Chicago line, well above initial MDOT projections.

June 5, 2025 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Pedestrian holding visual impairment cane pressing crosswalk button.

Chicago Judge Orders Thousands of Accessible Ped Signals

Only 3% of the city's crossing signals are currently accessible to blind pedestrians.

June 4, 2025 - DRA Legal

High view of Chicago train on elevated rail in downtown with reflective glass building on left and brick building on right.

Chicago Transit: $770M Shortfall, 40% Service Cuts Loom

Despite dire warnings from transit officials, the Illinois General Assembly ended its legislative session without a solution.

June 3, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Chicago Transit

Time Running Out for Illinois Transit Bill

Chicago-area transit agencies face a daunting budget gap if lawmakers fail to agree on a funding bill by the end of the current legislative session.

May 29, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Cyclists riding on green painted bike lane protected by flexible post delineators in Chicago, Illinois.

Growing up Car-Free in Chicago

One Chicago youth recounts their experience growing up in a car-free household.

May 27, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of Chicago with river in foreground.

Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan

The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.

May 8, 2025 - CBS News Chicago

Rendering of National Public Housing Museum in brick building in Chicago, Illinois.

Museum of Public Housing Opens in Chicago

The museum highlights the history of public housing in the United States using displays intimately woven with family artifacts.

April 2, 2025 - Block Club Chicago

White CTA bus and elevated train against sunset sky in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Transit Agencies on Brink of Major Crisis

Without additional funding, regional transit agencies will be forced to cut services by 40 percent.

March 25, 2025 - Mass Transit

Public transit bus on Chicago street with tall historic buildings in background.

Study: Most Chicago Rideshare Trips Could Be Made by Transit

Researchers found that 99 percent of rideshare trips could be made by buses and trains — but the time savings roughly equal an hour’s wage.

February 24, 2025 - Cities Today

Spanish-style arch over street reading 'Bienvenidos a Little Village" in Chicago, Illinois at golden hour.

Chicago Latino Corridor Hollowed Out Amid Deportation Fears

Foot traffic and business in the largely Latino Little Village neighborhood declined by as much as 50 percent, with many businesses staying closed on Tuesday.

January 23, 2025 - Bloomberg

View up at Chicago elevated train line with train passing and glass high-rises in background.

Chicago Transit Leaders Call for $1.5B Funding Package

Public transit across the Chicagoland region could suffer massive cuts without additional funding.

January 19, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Close-up of town of blue Divvy bike share bikes parked at station in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Sees Record Shared Bike, Scooter Use

Riders took over 11 million bike share and scooter trips in 2024.

January 14, 2025 - Streetsblog Chicago

Close-up of yellow pedestrian crossing signal button with text "Push button for accessible signal" and diagram of person holding cane, indicating blindness.

Chicago Made Hundreds of Accessibility Upgrades in 2024

The city has improved over 200 bus stops and 400 of its nearly 3,000 intersections to make them safer for people with disabilities.

January 1, 2025 - City of Chicago

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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