Illinois

Dakota Access Pipeline

The Dakota Access Pipeline Now Pumping Oil

Adding insult to injury in a bad week for environmental causes, the Dakota Access pipeline began shipping oil this week.

June 2, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Downtown, now

Sign of the Times: Developers Deconverting Condos Back to Apartments in Chicago

In the 1970s and 1980s, condo conversions were all the rage in Chicago. In 2017, however, developers are scooping up multi-family buildings en masse and "deconverting" condo units into apartments.

June 2, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago Commuter Rail

Metra Proposes Frequency Changes for the South Side of Chicago

Overall, Chicago's regional train service the Metra has been losing ridership, however, Hyde Park neighborhood stations have seen some growth.

May 31, 2017 - DNA Info

Reimagining the Spaces Under Chicago's Skyway

UIC architecture students competed to design improvements for the spaces under Chicago's South Side "Skyway," which carries drivers from the city to and from Northwest Indiana.

May 30, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

The Windy City

Black Chicagoans Segregated, Regardless of Income

Latino Chicagoans are more likely to live in diverse neighborhoods than whites or blacks do.

May 24, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago Harbor, City Skyline, Illinois

Mapping Chicago's Zoning Code Changes

A new interactive map feature launched by the Chicago Cityscape website maps all the zoning changes up for approval around the city.

May 22, 2017 - Chicago Cityscape

Chicago

Leaving Chicago's South Shore

Middle class African Americans are leaving Chicago, and that leaves neighborhoods like the city's South Shore reeling.

May 17, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Jackson Park

Obama: Pedestrianize Street Next to Presidential Center

Barack Obama supports closing Cornell Drive, a six-lane road next to the future site of the Obama Presidential Center, to automobile access. He cites safety concerns and the need for green space.

May 11, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

Chicago Winter

Distracted Drivers Get Few Tickets in Chicago

Police in Chicago issued 99% fewer distracted driving tickets in 2016 than in 2015.

May 10, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Skaters

Planned Skate Park Killed Near Chicago's 606

A planned Bucktown skate park will not be built and many neighbors are celebrating.

May 9, 2017 - DNA Info

park at night

Do Good Fences Make Good Neighborhood Parks?

A Chicago city park, recently redesigned to be more welcoming, could become less so in its final form. Neighbors complaining about "really shady" park visitors are lobbying for a 6-foot fence to be included in the park's multi-million dollar revamp.

May 8, 2017 - DNA Info

Bicycle Track

Cyclists Still Waiting for Chicago's Navy Pier Flyover

Delays and slow financing have kept a Navy Pier flyover grounded, and cyclists are tired of getting hit as they bike around the construction.

May 7, 2017 - The Chicago Reader

Jefferson Park Chicago

First Look at the Future Obama Presidential Center

The former president and first lady released a first look at the designs for the future site of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago.

May 3, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago

Eviction Hot Spot: Chicago's South Shore

Rising rents and low income residents have made this South Side neighborhood a locus for evictions and forced moves.

April 30, 2017 - Chicago Reader

Commuter Rail

A Simple Idea to Fix Transit on Chicago's South Side

On Chicago's massive south side, fixing transit means working on more than just CTA trains.

April 29, 2017 - South Side Weekly

Litter

Bag Tax Making a Big Difference in Chicago, Study Finds

NYU study finds 30% decrease in use of disposable bags since the city of Chicago implemented a seven-cent tax on them.

April 28, 2017 - Next City

Chicago's Wabash Lights Concept Could Expand

An art instillation of colorful LED lights hanging under the L on Wabash looks to grow.

April 27, 2017 - Curbed

After Drive By Shooting, Chicago Aims to Ban Guns in Party Buses

Chicago City Council is moving to close a loop hole in its gun control laws which forbid guns in bars, but do not cover party buses.

April 23, 2017 - DNA Info

Chicago

New Public Space Outside Wrigley Field Just Another Win for Chicago

Chicago Cubs fans looking to bask in the glory of the team's first World Series victory since 1908 will find a new public plaza and lawn next to the stadium. The plaza will be open to the public on non-baseball days too.

April 21, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

Freeway Construction

PIRG Releases Third Highway Boondoggles Report

A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Frontier Group indicates that highway boondoggles have been getting bigger, more costly, with the benefits more limited. Nine projects are analyzed in "Highway Boondoggles 3."

April 20, 2017 - Illinois PIRG

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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.