Illinois

Call for Guardrails on Trucks to Protect Bike Riders
John Greenfield's Op-Ed calls for legislation to mandate safety guards on trucks operating in the city of Chicago.
High Hopes for New Developments in the Chicago Neighborhood of Englewood
Chicago's Englewood neighborhood recently saw the opening of a Whole Foods, Starbucks, and other retailers in a bit of a good news, for a neighborhood that's challenged by low employment and high violence.

Commercial Vehicles Are No Match for Bike Safety
All six bicyclists killed in Chicago this year had something in common: commercial vehicles. Still missing from the discussion: what to do about it.

A Clever Way to End Cigarette Litter
Chicago smokers will soon be able to vote on matters of pop culture importance with their butts.

Unable or Unwilling to Hike Gas Taxes, Illinois and New Jersey Go to Voters
However, neither state will ask voters to increase the gas tax. Instead, they ask voters to assure that gas tax and other transportation-derived revenues are spent on transportation. Neither state has raised the tax in over 25 years.

Lessons of Housing Desegregation—From the 1960s to Today
The New York Times mines historic footage and current research for perspective on the effects of housing segregation.

The Business of Maintaining and Expanding Chicago's Bike Infrastructure
The Chicago Department of Transportation is busy with bike infrastructure projects around the city. Steven Vance updates the latest.

If Housing Affordability Is Top Concern, Let Metro Regions Sprawl
Research from BuildZoom, a San Francisco-based contractors' website, shows that housing affordability increases with a region's ability to build outwards, as opposed to upwards. Densification largely has not accompanied efforts to curb sprawl.

'Growing for Chicago' Wins Federal Grant to Explore Urban Agriculture Innovations
Growing for Chicago will use the $1 million Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine a "cohort-based" model for urban agriculture.

Rebuilding Civic Spaces: Going Small To Get Big Results
A $40 million investment is being split between four cities—Memphis, Chicago, Akron, and Detroit—with the hopes of making big impacts for the community by revitalizing and/or repurposing exiting civic spaces.

Chicago's Shared Street Off to a Bumpy Start
The shared street concept is being tested in Chicago, with goals of spurring economic development, allowing new and flexible use of public spaces, and increasing pedestrian safety.

Signs of Life From Chicago's Failed Spire Project
Related Midwest, the current developer of the site of Santiago Caltrava's infamously failed Spire project, are finally making progress on the next iteration of plans for the site.
Chicago's South Side Gains New Bus Service
New and improved bus service launched on the South Side of Chicago over Labor Day weekend.

Chicago's Warehouse Building Boom
Online shopping and gentrification is fueling a bona fide building boom of warehouse spaces in Chicago.

Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016
Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.

A Bold Plan to Swim in Chicago's Rivers by 2030
Chicago Mayor Rah Emanuel and the Metropolitan Planning Council announced the "Our Great Rivers" plan this week.

Tax Increment Financing District Proposed for Chicago's Big Flyover Transit Project
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is looking for ways to raise local funds to help secure the federal funds necessary for the CTA's Red-Purple Bypass Project.

Big, Corporate 'Back to the City' Movement Continues
In the latest news, chemical company Chemours will remain in downtown Wilmington, Delaware's largest city. In June, McDonald's decamped from Chicago's suburbs for downtown. This latest corporate trend is the topic of a New York Times article.

Research Finds Strong Links Between Urban Characteristics and Local Drug Trade
New research has found a link between drug dealing and certain urban environments, which researchers believe can lead to better policing strategies.

South Side Location Selected for the Obama Library
The eagerly anticipated selection of the future site of the Obama Presidential Library has leaked to the press. A formal announcement is expected soon.
Pagination
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Planning for Universal Design
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