Illinois

A rendering of the park, with green grass and a bass sculpture that looks like several tall arches in a row.

40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park

The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.

November 2, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

The Chicago Avenue Bridge when it was open, a dark red bridge in front of downtown.

Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders

The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.

November 1, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

The Headwaters of Bubbly Creek and the Racine Avenue Pump Station. The later is a large, gray square building.

City officials are dumping billions of gallons of sewage into the Chicago River

This year, the Racine Avenue sewage pumping station has poured over 10 billion gallons of sewage into the Chicago River.

November 1, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A rendering of the proposed facility. Trees are made slightly translucent so a large, rectangular cement building can be seen

Feds to more closely scrutinize proposed Amtrak facility’s environmental impact

The Federal Railroad Administration had initially said the facility qualified for a less extensive environmental review.

October 28, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

People walk off a train in chicago

Chicago’s new transit authority has ‘unprecedented’ land development power

The Northern Illinois Transit Authority is allowed to buy and develop land for reasons unrelated to transit, a power that is fairly unique among transit authorities.

October 28, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A small bird is dazed after crashing into a glass building in Chicago.

Chicago's streets are littered with dead birds. Will the city protect them?

Chicago sits in the route of migratory birds traveling south. Its abundance of glass buildings and bright lights make it particularly disorienting for the animals.

October 24, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

A pencil rendering of Foundry Park, which shows skyscrapers and public green spaces.

Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment

The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.

October 23, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

Two Black children roller skate.

This Chicago neighborhood is using planning to increase life expectancy

The Garfield Park Quality-Of-Life Plan aims to bring residents everything from easier access to fresh food to revitalized commercial corridors.

October 20, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

People in Chicago cross the street. There are two CTA buses in the background.

Chicago city vehicles are on the hunt for illegally-parked cars

Cameras on the vehicles can automatically issue tickets to drivers who park their cars in bus or bike lanes.

October 17, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

A group of people gather around Metra's battery-powered bus.

Public steps inside U.S.’s first battery-powered train

Metra’s groundbreaking train feature modern seats and a futuristic battery car.

October 16, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

Tobias Bauer, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility North America in front of the company's Sound Transit new light rail vehicles.

Companies show off AI technology, new innovation hubs at APTA Expo

Nearly 700 companies attended the American Public Transportation Association’s Expo last week, which happens once every three years.

October 16, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Passengers on Seattle's Sound Transit

How Chicago, New York and Seattle are funding transit projects amid tough times

Notes from the American Public Transportation Association's TransForm conference in Chicago.

October 14, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

A woman sits on a bus stop bench and looks at her phone.

Guerilla urbanists’ DIY benches joined by sanctioned seats in Chicago

The group behind the original homemade benches said they will continue installing them across bench-less bus stops in Chicago.

October 12, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

A group of politicians happily cut a blue ribbon.

Metrolink finishes first expansion in 20 years

The transit agency is now one of very few in the United States to connect two major airports.

October 8, 2026 - Mass Transit

A birds-eye-view of the Bellwether, with a rendering of people relaxing on the roof.

Downtown Chicago opens the doors of first office-to-housing project

Chicago aims to eventually turn empty office space into 1,765 mixed-income housing units.

October 2, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

A battery-powered train. The front of the train is white, it gradually fades into a dark blue color.

Chicago to showcase country’s first battery-operated passenger train

Metra estimates the trains will be ready for passenger use around the start of 2028.

October 1, 2026 - Chicago Tribune

Visitors view the Obama Presidential Branch of the Chicago Public Library on the campus of the Obama Presidential Center

South Chicago development proposal would 'upzone' neighborhoods to increase density

The South Chicago Land Use Framework plan also aims to promote pedestrian and transit-oriented developments.

September 23, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

A gray building partially obscured by trees, behind a four way intersection.

A ‘shady’ deal: Chicagoans rally against planned Amtrak maintenance facility

The $900 million facility would allow Amtrak to maintain entire trains in one building, which the company says will reduce delays.

September 21, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

One side of the image shows a Chicago bus stop without a bench, the second image shows the bus stop with a yellow and blue bench.

Guerilla urbanists are building DIY bus stop benches in Chicago

The new benches are not officially sanctioned or permitted, but the residents who placed them hope they will be the start of a network of DIY benches across the city.

September 16, 2026 - Block Club Chicago

The Lake Shore Drive Bridge with a boat passing under it.

Extreme heat is paralyzing Chicago’s moveable bridges

If moveable bridges are raised during heatwaves, the metal can expand and jam the bridge's mechanisms, preventing it from lowering.

September 7, 2026 - Chicago Sun-Times

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.