Illinois

Columnist Jon Hilkevitch writes that a new public-opinion poll on mass-transit issues found that the Chicagoans care deeply about them. Though the candidates haven't taken sides yet, it could be a deciding factor.

January 17, 2011 - The Chicago Tribune

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

American City & County Magazine picks 6 "crown communities" for 2010, which it says "exhibit the qualities that build strong communities: cooperation, creativity and leadership."

January 2, 2011 - American City And County

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

"Give a Minute" is a program that seeks ideas for fixing cities directly from the people who use them, using ads in newspapers and displays in public spaces to ask a big question, such as "What would get you to walk, bike or take transit more often?"

December 25, 2010 - Urban Omnibus

Lax enforcement of standards created to limit exhaust from idling diesel-powered vehicles and buses shows that there is still work to be done in Mayor Richard Daley's quest to position Chicago atop the list of the nation's greenest cities.

November 22, 2010 - The Chicago Tribune

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

Chicago is trying to position itself as one of the greenest cities in America, but longheld plans to upgrade the city's overburdened stormwater system highlight how far it has to go.

November 12, 2010 - Green Source

Branden Klayko says that Chicago's new GOTO 2040 plan is a bold vision that includes extensive infill development and an emphasis on creating compact communities around transit.

November 10, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

16 overgrown acres of land hide a long-unused railroad easement in Muskegee -- so long unused that no one knows who owns it. Muskegee Development wants it.

October 18, 2010 - The Muskegee Phoenix

Blair Kamin looks at "Go to 2040", a new regional plan for the Chicago area that he says has few goals to get excited about and "reflects an era of scarce resources."

October 15, 2010 - The Chicago Tribune

A zoning proposal in DuPage County would ban construction of 'meeting places,' including religious institutions, in unincorporated residential areas. The County says it's a question of infrastructure. Muslim leaders wonder if it's Islamophobia.

October 14, 2010 - WBEZ 91.5

While cities across the country are raising fees to counteract the recession, the village of Schaumburg, Illinois is bucking the trend and decreasing or even eliminating municipal fees.

September 30, 2010 - NBC

Neal Pierce argues that retiring Mayor Daley's achievements in Chicago "stand out as beacons for mayors, American and worldwide, to emulate." He attributes some of his success to sheer political skill, but also examines seven effective policy shifts.

September 24, 2010 - Citiwire

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who recently announced he would not seek re-election, has had a major impact on the city and its urban form, according to this review.

September 9, 2010 - Chicago Tribune

A documentary airing nationally on PBS today looks at the work of Daniel Burnham and the emergence of the urban planning profession.

September 6, 2010 - Architectural Record