Illinois
Iowa May Reject Fed HSR Funding
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.
What Will Chicago Be Like, Post-Daley?
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.
America's Best Communities
American City & County Magazine picks 6 "crown communities" for 2010, which it says "exhibit the qualities that build strong communities: cooperation, creativity and leadership."
Major Redevelopment Project on Chicago's Lakefront
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill re-designed the former U.S. Steel plant site, which will eventually house almost 50,000 people.
Crowdsourcing the City
"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?"
Emission Enforcement Idles While the City Chokes
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.
Improving Communications About Transit
This post from The City Fix looks at various efforts to increase communication between transit riders and transit providers in Chicago.
A New Kind of Airport
Architect Claire Lester reimagines Chicago's O'Hare as a dynamic, multipurpose environment.
19th Century Chicago History Goes Hollywood
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.
Green Efforts Have Room to Grow in Chicago
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.
A New Emphasis on Compact Communities in Chicago
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.
Owner of Valuable Railroad Easement is a Mystery
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.
A New Plan for Chicago Fails to Stir Men's Blood
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."
Near Chicago, A Zoning Change Inflames Religious Tension
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.
Small Town Bucks Trend, Lowers Property Tax
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.
Daley's Success As Chicago's 20-Year Mayor
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.
The Urban Impact of Richard Daley
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.
The Urban and Civic Impact of Daniel Burnham
A documentary airing nationally on PBS today looks at the work of Daniel Burnham and the emergence of the urban planning profession.
Marketing Suburban Life To Gay Community
Berwyn, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, is running an aggressive marketing campaign to convince the gay community that their small city is a friendly and affordable place for them to live.
Landmark Mall to Become Mixed-Use Village
Randhurst Mall was the first enclosed mall in the Chicago Area. Today, developers are replacing the mall with an open-air, mixed-use project with a traditional Main Street-style design.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
