Illinois
Under Threat, Preservation Efforts in Illinois Get New Leadership
From lawsuits to development pressures, Landmarks Illinois, the venerable voice for preservation in the state, has been doing its best to fend off challengers to the state's historic treasures. A new president hopes to help stiffen the defenses.
After a Lost Decade, How Can Chicago Get Back on Track?
Aaron M. Renn looks at Chicago's struggles over the last decade - one that saw the city "increasingly falling behind its large urban brethren" - and asks whether its aspirations for becoming a global city are delusional.
Chicago Works to Add People to its Places
On Wednesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel kicked-off Chicago's “Make Way for People” program, an effort to "promote economic development and make Chicago streets safer for pedestrians," by transforming the city's paved surfaces into people places.
Can Chicago Eliminate Traffic Deaths?
Sarah Goodyear reports on the Windy City's ambitious plan to eliminate all traffic fatalities in the city within 10 years.
Will a New Plan for Chicago's Union Station Stick?
20 years after its last makeover, and with successive grand renovation plans developed and abandoned in between, last week saw the release of a new master plan for America's third-busiest railroad terminal, reports Fran Spielman.
So We've Got All This Data. Now What?
Ben Hecht offers his insights on what civic leaders should do to capitalize on big data and how efforts in Chicago are turning these ideas into reality.
In Race to Be the Tallest, Who Has Final Say?
As developers around the world seek to steal the coveted title of "World's Tallest Building", Carl Bialik looks at what defines a building, and who gets to decide.
Design for Chicago's Bloomingdale Trail Takes Shape
As it wraps up the first stage of a community planning progress, Alan G. Brake checks in on the latest designs for Chicago's answer to the High Line.
What Gets Left Behind in the Rush to Privatize Public Improvements?
As public-private partnerships to invest in aged urban infrastructure gain in popularity in Chicago, and across the country, Christopher Weber asks who will fund the improvements unaligned with corporate interests.
Chicago: America's Freight Rail Speed Bump
John Schwartz looks at Chicago's rail mess, which seems entirely inadequate a word to describe the "sprawling traffic jam" that keeps some rail traffic crawling through the city at an average speed of 1.13 miles per hour.
What Are the Biggest Challenges Facing America's Mayors?
Earlier this week, Charlie Rose hosted a roundtable discussion with the mayors of Chicago, Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Louisville on how they're working to revitalize their cities in challenging economic times.
A Closer Look At Growth Data Showing An Urban Revival
On April 5, the U.S. Census Bureau released growth data from April 2010 to July 2011 showing that for the first time in 20 years, urban growth surpassed exurban growth. Yonah Freemark takes a closer look at the data for 21 metropolitan areas.
Great Lakes Turbines Get Second Wind
Just months after a proposal to build the first wind farm to be located offshore on any of the Great Lakes was shelved, five neighboring states have struck a deal with the Obama administration to develop offshore wind farms more quickly.
Decline in Chicago Parking Demands Have Developers Taking Notice
Mary E. Morrison reports on a precipitous drop in the percentage of renters leasing parking spaces in new downtown Chicago residential buildings, causing developers to rethink the way they build and market their buildings.
Emanuel Fills In the Details on Massive Chicago Infrastructure Plan
Today, Mayor Rahm Emanuel will sketch out a fuller picture of the ambitious $7 billion public-private plan to upgrade Chicago's transit, schools, and parks, reports John Schwartz.
'Stuck' in the City, Chicago Parents Yearn for Better Schools
A sluggish housing market has stemmed the flow of young parents into Chicago's suburbs, putting pressure on city officials to make public schools better, John Pletz reports.
Navy Pier Design Team Picked
From amongst an international field of distinguished competitors, a 17-memeber team led by James Corner Field Operations has been selected to revamp the Chicago landmark's public spaces, reports Blair Kamin.
Chicago's Cultural Plan Gets a Rewrite
For the first time in more than 25 years, Chicago is updating the city's Cultural Plan by taking stock of its existing cultural assets and identifying opportunities for “cultural hubs,” reports Christopher Bentley.
Chicago Hops On Bike Sharing Phenomenon
With the recently announced selection of a vendor to operate its first large-scale bicycle sharing program, Chicagoans are primed to start pedaling in earnest this summer, reports Jon Hilkevitch.
Pagination
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Planning for Universal Design
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