Chicago

While Washington bickers over partisan issues, mayors in the rest of the country are showing strong leadership and innovation. Newsweek has compiled a list of the top cities pushing education reform, public safety, quality of life, and job creation.

January 1, 2013 - The Daily Beast

Researchers at the University of Chicago are tackling a problem that is confronting the globe's biggest cities: how to turn the reams of data being collected and opened to the public and turn it into actionable information for decision-makers.

December 27, 2012 - DNAinfo.com Chicago

In this holiday essay, spelunker John Watts delivers an everyman’s take on Chesterton’s oft-noted adage: Places don’t become loved because they are great; they become great because they are loved. Does your town invite “word-of-mouth walking?”

December 23, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Mick Dumke dives deep on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's ambitious plans to "exchange public space and public rights for private cash." Has the city learned anything from the parking meter debacle?

December 19, 2012 - Chicago Reader

Last week Chicago became the envy of America's urban biking advocates when it opened the city's first two-way protected bike lanes in the heart of the Loop, reports Lori Rotenberk.

December 17, 2012 - Grist

For Michael A. Pagano, local municipalities went awry in designing fiscal systems during the 20th century by fabricating what he refers to as “a crazy quilt of local revenue.” He proposes some possibilities for getting cities back on track.

December 6, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

In cities across America, municipal bike-share systems have had a hard time reaching low-income and minority populations. As Chicago plans its new system for next year's launch, the city is developing measures to broaden the demographics of cycling.

November 27, 2012 - Grid Chicago

Officials in Chicago envision an ambitious plan for a 100-acre urban agriculture district as the foundation for reviving an area of the city now "riddled with vacant lots, poverty, and blight," reports Lori Rotenberk.

November 18, 2012 - Grist

On the 25th anniversary of sociologist William Julius Wilson's seminal book on urban poverty, the effect of neighborhoods on people's lives is getting renewed attention in academia. But is anyone in power listening?

November 13, 2012 - The Chronicle of Higher Education

La Casa is a first of its kind dorm building in Chicago, offering affordable housing for up to 100 students attending any of the colleges in the area. It is not only a living arrangement, but also a hub of support services, writes Michael Winerip.

November 7, 2012 - The New York Times

Chicago is planning to join the list of cities monetizing their public spaces and facilities by selling ad space on city property. Past efforts by the city to launch so-called “municipal marketing” efforts have been beset by delays and missteps.

October 30, 2012 - WBEZ

With wind turbines, a "daylighting" system, and charging stations for electric cars, Chicago's Greenway Self-Park bills itself as the city's first "earth friendly parking garage." John Greenfield asks, can a downtown garage truly be eco-friendly?

October 25, 2012 - Grid Chicago

By a ratio of two-to-one, Toronto is far outpacing NYC in terms of high-rises and skyscrapers currently under construction. As other Canadian cities follow suit, Jim Flaherty, Canada's Finance Minister, is taking measures to cool the market.

October 24, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

The speedometer on the Chicago to St. Louis train hit 110 mph - and stayed there for five minutes, but it was enough to elevate the spirits of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the other dignitaries on-board. Normal speeds top out at 79 mph.

October 22, 2012 - The Huffington Post

Preservationists have been outspoken in arguing for the protection of Prentice Women’s Hospital. Rather than bemoan Northwestern University's intransigence in finding a way to reuse the hospital, two powerful figures have put forth a way to save it.

October 18, 2012 - The New York Times

Is the idea of "farming up" really taking off? Vertical farming could yield long-term environmental benefits, but still faces many obstacles.

October 18, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) has put forth an ambitious congestion-pricing plan for new highway lanes planned on six major roadways across the Chicago metro area in the hopes of building political and public support.

October 17, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

Along a nondescript street in Chicago's gritty West Side, a 1.5-mile stretch of a "historic, industrial artery" has been given a futuristic makeover as the greenest street in the country, and perhaps the world, reports Lori Rotenberk.

October 15, 2012 - Grist

Chicago is seeking funding for a $100 million build-out of the Chicago River riverwalk stretching from State to Lake streets. The City hopes to build another popular destination like Millennium Park.

October 8, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

Writer David Lepeska offers a great summary of innovative civic technologies and mobile apps being used across the country, and speculates about which city will be the first to use Twitter as a very public suggestion box.

October 6, 2012 - Next American City