Chicago

Chicago Transit Authority

A Bus Service Report Card for Chicago

A new report card from the Active Transportation Alliance gave mostly C's and D's to bus service in the city of Chicago.

October 30, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago

No Fare Hikes for Chicago in 2019 Budget

The Chicago Transit Agency 2019 includes a flyover at the Belmont train station, rehabs for two Blue Line stops, and Red and Purple Line modernizations, among other things.

October 27, 2018 - Streetsblog

Chicago, Illinois

The Lincoln Park Story

In The Battle of Lincoln Park, Daniel Kay Hertz chronicles the gentrification of Lincoln Park, and shows how its residents displaced renters and the poor.

October 26, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

7 Bus Chicago CTA

Chicago Creates Incentives for Transit Oriented Developments Along Bus Routes

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration will expand its program to incentivize transit oriented development by including land around the 79th Street and Chicago Avenue bus routes.

October 26, 2018 - Curbed Chicago

CTA Chicago

Chicago and New York: Two Transit Systems, Two Very Different Outcomes

Both cities have aging transit systems in need of major repairs. Chicago’s approach has helped turn the system around while New York is still grappling with its issues.

October 25, 2018 - The New York Times

Chicago Spire

Aldermanic Obstruction Too Strong for Former Chicago Spire Site Plans

Developers Related Midwest have new plans for the infamously failed development site, but have so far been stymied by demands from the office of Alderman Brendan Reilly.

October 24, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Wrigley Field

Dynamic Parking Prices Lack Political Will, Local Support Near Wrigley Field

Setting the example for the rest of city was too tough a pill to swallow for businesses located near Wrigley Field.

October 23, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Marilyn Monroe Statue

A Cautionary Tale of Mega-Project Planning

"There’s a dramatic difference, Cityfront Center shows, between real estate success and building a great city."

October 18, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago Blue Line Tracks

Regional Planning Stuck in Neutral in Chicagoland?

With the approval of the ON TO 2050 regional plan, some advocates see more of the same car-centric planning. Perhaps the state can finally shift the discussion.

October 16, 2018 - Chi.Streetsblog

Holmdel, New Jersey

'Huge' Office Campus Redevelopment Near Sears Headquarters Set to Go Forward

A sizable former AT&T campus in suburban Chicago will be redeveloped into mixed-use, despite "sluggish" local leasing activity and the potential closure of Sears' nearby headquarters.

October 13, 2018 - The Chicago Tribune

Jackson Park

Chicago Moves Forward Legislation on Obama Presidential Center

The former president's Obama Presidential Center, to be constructed in Chicago's Jackson Park, has faced opposition from nearby residents concerned about its effects on the area.

October 12, 2018 - The Chicago Tribune

Trump Sign

Another Chicago Skyscraper Sign Controversy

Regulations crafted in the wake of the Trump sign controversy of 2014 could be relaxed to let Salesforce leave its mark on the city of Chicago's skyline.

September 25, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago River Industrial Area

Editorial: Save Space for Parks in Chicago's Next Big Mega-Development

The 760-acre North Branch Industrial Corridor could be a game changer for the North Side, but the Chicago Tribune wants to make sure that quality of life is considered along visions of economic development.

September 18, 2018 - The Chicago Tribune

Bloomingdale Trail

Everything About Tax Increment Financing

A controversial form of value capture, tax increment financing begs for further analysis and understanding. A new report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy sheds light on the subject.

September 16, 2018 - CityLab

Bike Commuting

Chicago and San José Achieve LEED for Cities Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council launched the LEED for Cities program in 2016.

September 12, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

The Bloomingdale Trail

Evaluating Departing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Planning Record

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a surprise announcement this week that he would not seek a third term in office.

September 6, 2018 - Streetsblog Chicago

Chicago Three-Flats

Classic Chicago Residential Architecture Disappearing Quickly

A recent report by the DePaul University Institute for Housing Studies finds the number of two-flats, three-flats, and four-flats in quick decline among the residential building stock of Chicago.

September 3, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Large Lot Vacancies

Property Taxes Due on Chicago's $1 Large Lots

So you bought a lot for $1 under the city of Chicago's Large Lots program. Expect your bills to go up a lot more than that measly sum.

August 29, 2018 - Chicago Cityscape

Illinois License Plate

Tougher Fines for Phone Use and the Introduction of the Dutch Reach for Illinois Drivers

Illinois gets to new pieces of legislation aimed at slowing the rise in pedestrian deaths and other commuter injuries.

August 26, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Pedestrians in Chicago

Chicago Could Be Next to Cap Number of Ride-Hailing Vehicles

After New York City approved a similar law earlier in Agust, two Chicago alderman have proposed a law that would limit the number of vehicles operating for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft.

August 21, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.