Chicago
Launch of Chicago Bike Share Delayed Again; Are Citi Bike's Problems to Blame?
It turns out New York isn't the only large city struggling to get its heralded bike-share system off the ground. Chicago's rush to launch Divvy has hit a snag, delaying the program's launch by two weeks.
Chicago's Murder Wave Ebbs; How'd They Do That?
Last year, Chicago experienced a surge in gun violence that drew national attention. So far this year, shootings and crime are down significantly thanks to a mix of tactics employed by city leaders. Is the drop in crime sustainable?
How Chicago's Housing Crisis Became a Moral Crisis
Ben Austen traces how foreclosures, crime, and depopulation have decimated areas in the South and West Sides of Chicago, and the 'do-it-yourself empowerment zones' that are trying to make use of vacant properties and turn around these neighborhoods.
Chicago Gears Up for Bike Share
Not to be outdone by its big (and small) city brethren, the nation's third largest city is launching its long-awaited, and relatively secretive, bike-sharing program next month. And according to Paul Merrion, they're starting with a bang.
Killing Chicago's Economy: Quantifying the Costs of Gun Violence
The value of a single life lost or destroyed by gun violence is incalculable. But the cumulative impact of such savagery has consequences for a city's economy in the form of 'shuttered businesses, lost wages, disability checks and depopulation.'
Chicago’s Top Tourist Attraction to Get Green Makeover
The $176 million Phase I design concept for Navy Pier unveiled last week promises a "parklike" feel along the banks of Lake Michigan.
Chicago Plans Largest School Closing in Nation's History
Seeking to trim budgets and 'distribute scarce resources more efficiently,' Mayor Rahm Emanuel's controversial plan to shrink Chicago's school system moved ahead yesterday with the Board of Ed's vote to shut 49 of the city's elementary schools.
Poor Planning Brings a Flood of Water Problems
A new study by the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) compares that city's flood insurance claims with its floodplains, and finds a 'completely counter-intuitive' relationship between the two.
Is CA High-Speed Rail Stalling the Federal Rail Program?
House Republicans object to further funding of the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program - largely due to California's expectation to receive $42 billion in federal funding - yet less ambitious projects have shown much promise.
As Other Cities Boost TOD, Chicago Falters
A new study of transit-oriented growth in America's most transit-served cities reveals that Chicago lags way behind its peers. The area's enduring pattern of sprawling development is blamed.
Indiana and California Among States Yet to Decide to Subsidize Amtrak Lines
Ron Nixon provides an update on the implementation of the Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008 that requires states to subsidize shorter Amtrak routes in order to reduce Amtrak's federal subsidy. 28 routes in 19 states are at stake.
Craft and Context: Architecture that Connects Place and Time
Architect Mark Sofield explores the essential meaning of craft in architecture, which he says lies in the nature of the connections a building or space creates.
Get Ready for 'Divvy', Chicago's Soon to Launch Bike-Share System
Jon Hilkevitch details the roll-out of the Second City's first bike-share system. The handsome three-speed bikes painted in "Chicago blue" will start appearing on city streets in June.
Can One Dogged Enthusiast Polish Olmsted's Tarnished Chicago Jewel?
On Chicago's South Side, Jackson Park once inspired million of visitors to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, including a young Frank Lloyd Wright. After years of neglect, Robert Karr Jr. wants to revitalize the park along a Japanese theme.
Massive Chicago Master Plan Bridges Downtown Chasm
A speculative master plan for Chicago's West Loop would add a new layer to downtown's complex multi-level weaving of street strata and infrastructure with a highway cap park.
Chicagoland Interventions Show the Value in Temporary Projects
Jared Green looks at some of the innovative projects recognized by Chicago's Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) for their ability to creatively transform blighted lots into community assets.
Architecture Firms Look to Hire; But Where Are the Qualified Candidates?
After five rough years, architecture billings are on a sustained upswing. In Chicago, where the number of employed architects dropped 33 percent between 2008-2011, this means firms are staffing up to meet a growing number of commissions.
How to Win at the 'Planning Game'
Julia Vitullo-Martin reviews Alexander Garvin's new book, "The Planning Game," which examines four case studies for lessons on how shrewd investments in the public realm can revitalize a city.
Chicago's Infrastructure Trust: A Guide for Funding Projects, or Building Bad Deals?
Tim Logan dives deep on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's bold plan to help fund Chicago's infrastructure improvements with private capital. American cities need new ways to pay for projects, but can a city with a history of making bad deals provide the road map?
Chicago Policy Shift Gives Pedestrians a Leg Up
With the coming release of Chicago's new Complete Streets Design Guidelines, the city is undertaking a "seismic policy shift" in how it evaluates all transportation projects: by making pedestrians the primary mode for consideration.
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
