Chicago

Chicago

A Plan to Bike the Length of the Chicago River by 2030

The Chicago River is attracting some of the city's most creative visions for the future. The second plan in recent months proves the potential of the river as an open space asset.

October 25, 2016 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago Changing the Local Investment Game

With the announcement of a $100 million infusion into a local investment fund, Chicago will become the first city to fund in ways usually reserved for the federal government.

October 20, 2016 - Next City

Chicago

Chicago TOD Strategies: Sum Of Parts Equal, Greater Than the Whole

A successful TOD will be predicated upon three core elements: 1) development; 2) transit; and 3) transit-friendly amenities. While focus tends to be on the first two elements, this article provides insights on the importance of the third element.

October 17, 2016 - Renewal & Redevelopment (Association for Redevelopment Initiatives)

Self-Driving Car

Responding to a Proposed Ban on Self-Driving Cars in Chicago

Gabe Klein thinks a proposed ban on self-driving cars in Chicago is shortsighted.

October 16, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Hilliard Towers

Chicago's Hilliard Homes Succeed Despite Trend Away From High-Rise Projects

The Hilliard Homes avoided the wrecking ball for 50 years, even while other high-rise projects were knocked down. A Chicago Reader pierce suggests the design and management of these buildings could make them a model for future High-rise projects.

October 12, 2016 - Chicago Reader

Frank Lloyd Wright Oak Park

In Chicago, Suburbs Becoming More Liberal

Chicago suburban residents were long more conservative than the average Illinois voter but, over the last two decades, that has changed.

October 9, 2016 - City Notes

Street Traffic

Call for Guardrails on Trucks to Protect Bike Riders

John Greenfield's Op-Ed calls for legislation to mandate safety guards on trucks operating in the city of Chicago.

October 6, 2016 - Chicago Reader

High Hopes for New Developments in the Chicago Neighborhood of Englewood

Chicago's Englewood neighborhood recently saw the opening of a Whole Foods, Starbucks, and other retailers in a bit of a good news, for a neighborhood that's challenged by low employment and high violence.

October 3, 2016 - Chicago Tribune

Ghost Bike

Commercial Vehicles Are No Match for Bike Safety

All six bicyclists killed in Chicago this year had something in common: commercial vehicles. Still missing from the discussion: what to do about it.

September 29, 2016 - Chicago Tribune

Cigarette Litter Beach

A Clever Way to End Cigarette Litter

Chicago smokers will soon be able to vote on matters of pop culture importance with their butts.

September 28, 2016 - Governing

Chicago Bike Lane

The Business of Maintaining and Expanding Chicago's Bike Infrastructure

The Chicago Department of Transportation is busy with bike infrastructure projects around the city. Steven Vance updates the latest.

September 16, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Fall Sprawl

If Housing Affordability Is Top Concern, Let Metro Regions Sprawl

Research from BuildZoom, a San Francisco-based contractors' website, shows that housing affordability increases with a region's ability to build outwards, as opposed to upwards. Densification largely has not accompanied efforts to curb sprawl.

September 16, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Empty Park

Rebuilding Civic Spaces: Going Small To Get Big Results

A $40 million investment is being split between four cities—Memphis, Chicago, Akron, and Detroit—with the hopes of making big impacts for the community by revitalizing and/or repurposing exiting civic spaces.

September 15, 2016 - CityLab

Argyle Street

Chicago's Shared Street Off to a Bumpy Start

The shared street concept is being tested in Chicago, with goals of spurring economic development, allowing new and flexible use of public spaces, and increasing pedestrian safety.

September 13, 2016 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago Spire

Signs of Life From Chicago's Failed Spire Project

Related Midwest, the current developer of the site of Santiago Caltrava's infamously failed Spire project, are finally making progress on the next iteration of plans for the site.

September 9, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Chicago's South Side Gains New Bus Service

New and improved bus service launched on the South Side of Chicago over Labor Day weekend.

September 5, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Local Leadership and Civic Networks: What History Can Tell Us About Urban Success

The next time a city or community is struggling, rather than looking only to macroeconomic forces or national policymakers for reasons, we should equally examine the strength of local leadership and the texture of their networks.

September 2, 2016 - Thriving Cities Blog

Amazon Warehouse

Chicago's Warehouse Building Boom

Online shopping and gentrification is fueling a bona fide building boom of warehouse spaces in Chicago.

August 30, 2016 - Crain's Chicago Business

Hurricane Katrina

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016

Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

August 20, 2016 - Planetizen

Chicago River

A Bold Plan to Swim in Chicago's Rivers by 2030

Chicago Mayor Rah Emanuel and the Metropolitan Planning Council announced the "Our Great Rivers" plan this week.

August 19, 2016 - 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.