Illinois
Chicago's $1.3 Million Experiment in Democracy
In a Chicago Tribune op-ed, Alderman Joe Moore explains why he is letting residents decide how to spend his $1.3 ward budget, through the first Participatory Budgeting process in the US.
Chicago Mayor Blasts Change to Teacher Residency Rule
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says recently approved legislation that allows city school teachers to live outside Chicago borders will help to decimate the city's middle class.
Gertrude Kerbis, Pioneering Female Architect
Architect Gertrude Kerbis worked for sixty years designing buildings in Chicago alongside more famous architects like Walter Gropius and Mies Van der Rohe. Preservation Magazine talks to her about her struggles as a woman in a male-dominated field.
Alternative Energy Lights Up Streets in Suburban Chicago
Downers Grove, IL has won accolades for being the first residential subdivision to install a hybrid solar-wind powered street lighting system, reports TribLocal.
Momentum Builds Toward Chicago to St. Louis HSR
The IL state senate's 51-2 passage of a bill creating the Illinois and Midwest High Speed Rail Commission on March 18 is a major step toward planning the 150+ mph train from Chicago to St. Louis.
Illinois Opens Door to New Nuclear Plants
State legislators in Illinois have lifted a 23-year ban on building nuclear plants within the state.
Urbanites Make the Case for Goats as Pets
The don't bite. They don't need much space. They follow kids around like a dog. We're talking about miniature goats. Planning commissions across the country are being asked to moved the hooved animals into the "pet" category.
'Drive 'til You Qualify' Foreclosures on the Rise
Long commute + High Fuel Costs = Home Losses in Exurbs.
Goodbye, Cabrini-Green
The Cabrini-Green Housing Projects in Chicago, Illinois were some of the worst examples of the public housing towers era. This stop motion video captures the demolition of one of the last buildings left in the redevelopment process.
High Speed Rail Needs High Class Stations
Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin argues that America's foray into high speed rail should also focus on the rail stations and user experience in addition to the speed.
Chicago's Privatized Parking Meters: Fiasco, or Success Story?
The City of Chicago, in a much criticized move, recently privatized its parking enforcement. Stephen Goldsmith says the program should be celebrated instead of booed.
The History of Street Food
A radio interview in Chicago talks about the merits of street food and the historical reasons for restrictions on vendors.
Always Begin With the Stuff You've Got
That's how newly-developed communities are making it work, says Laura Wright in this in-depth look at how sprawl happened in Chicago and how smart growth is revitalizing the city.
Twin Cities-to-Chicago Rail Plans Released
The state of Minnesota has released its final plans for a high-speed rail route connecting the Twin Cities to Chicago.
Urban Data: The Second City
Looking at the city of Chicago and how it should approach the future, John Tolva writes about the potential for tapping into city data and embracing the "second city" it creates.
CTA Opens Transit Data
The Chicago Transit Authority is opening up its transit arrival data to web developers, spurring what officials and riders hope will be the creation of new tools to make riding transit in the city easier.
Boxcars Getting in the Way of High-Speed Rail
In Chicago, plans to make passenger and commuter trains faster are limited by the freight trains that share the tracks. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) is working to improve that relationship.
Streetcars: Old is New Again in Rockford
Rockford, Illinois used to have a system of streetcars, interurban rail and long-distance passenger trains like many cities. Planners now say the time is right to consider rebuilding.
Roofers vs. Landscapers
In a battle over contracts to build green roofs for Chicago's public buildings, landscapers have come out on top.
Chicago's Private Parking Meter Bungle
Chicago's decision to privatize its parking meters seems to be a loss for the city, as new data shows the city could have made much more money in the long term had they maintained operational management.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
