Chicago

A federal jail, The Metropolitan Correctional Center, is snuggled right into Chicago's Loop. Reporter Roman Mars looks at how the architecture manages to help the building disappear.

May 20, 2011 - 99% Invisible

After 22 years in office, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is leaving office. This piece looks back on his mixed impact on the urban design of the city.

May 13, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Lawrence Okrent is a Chicago planning and zoning consultant and also a photographer. Recreating a series of aerial photographs from 1985, he shows the remarkable growth of the city over the last 15 years.

April 30, 2011 - The Chicago Tribune

The New York Times, in a front page article, was startled to conclude that the housing market continued to suffer, because "buyers now demand something smaller, cheaper and, thanks to $4 a gallon gas, as close to their jobs as possible."

April 26, 2011 - The New Republic

Cities across the country are re-utilizing brownfield sites as solar farms.

April 15, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Editor Ed Zotti writes about the numerous challenges facing Chicago's El train, and details his proposal for fixing it, which includes adding much-needed service on the North Side.

March 27, 2011 - The Chicago Reader

Blair Kamin says that Chicago's new master plan for the Lakeview neighborhood is full of big and "audacious" ideas, including a park under the El and many pedestrian improvements.

March 17, 2011 - The Chicago Tribune

The Lake View neighborhood in Chicago will unveil a new master plan for a completely redesigned community, including a "Low Line" park walkway.

March 15, 2011 - WLS

With the Second City experiencing a 7% decline in the population over the past decade, the newly elected Mayor Rahm Emmanuel must adapt to a suburban-dominated environment.

March 2, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

The city of Chicago is planning to build a network of 280 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city by the end of the year.

March 2, 2011 - Grist

Regional water issues are of major concern in many parts of the world. The Chicago area is especially sensitive to water. New efforts are underway there to help preserve a threatened resource.

February 15, 2011 - Citiwire

Building owners in downtown Chicago are hoping to push forward a project aimed at creating a "smart grid" of energy-efficient and energy-producing buildings.

January 25, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

While Gov. Walker's rejection of $810 million of federal stimulus funds for the Milwaukee-Madison rail upgrade has received much publicity, he has not ruled out using funds to upgrade the existing Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha Line pushed by businesses.

January 19, 2011 - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Lawrence Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Square ballooned over the years to 4 lanes. Putting the street on a "road diet" will make it friendlier to pedestrians.

January 10, 2011 - The Chicago Tribune

Sounding very much like the new OH and WI Republican governors, a key state Republican legislator wants to avoid the ongoing state subsidy for Iowa City to Chicago trains. At stake is $230 million in a Federal rail grant to build 110 mph trains.

January 10, 2011 - Des Moines Register

Blair Kamin reflects on the soon-to-be-ex-mayor Richard Daley's legacy, his "passion to build," and how Chicago might be shaped without his influence.

January 4, 2011 - The Chicago Tribune

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill re-designed the former U.S. Steel plant site, which will eventually house almost 50,000 people.

December 30, 2010 - The New York Times

This post from The City Fix looks at various efforts to increase communication between transit riders and transit providers in Chicago.

November 18, 2010 - The City Fix

Architect Claire Lester reimagines Chicago's O'Hare as a dynamic, multipurpose environment.

November 14, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Hollywood producers are planning a film version of the Chicago-focused book The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic And Madness At The Fair That Changed America.

November 13, 2010 - Deadline New York