Illinois

Fast Company Picks 'Fast Cities 2008'

Fast Company highlights Chicago and London, their picks for U.S. and Global Cities of the Year, respectively. Whatever you think of the way such lists come together, these are interesting profiles of two vibrant municipalities.

June 5, 2008 - Fast Company

Young Author Writes About Human Impact of Sprawl

Gina Olszowski's first book focuses on the personal stories of rural residents impacted by sprawl.

May 30, 2008 - The Beacon News

Chicago's Michigan Avenue Endangered

One of Chicago's most famous streetscapes is threatened by proposed new towers.

May 25, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Is Chicago Reaching For The Stick Before Offering A Carrot?

Chicago shouldn't be surprised if drivers don't take to transit once its new pricing scheme is enacted. No matter the cost, most motorists won't make the switch until the city's transit system is more reliable, argues a recent column.

May 16, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

New Details About Chicago's Bus Rapid Transit System

Chicago's federally funded pilot program will target some of the city's most congested arteries with new bus-rapid transit lines that will feature dedicated lanes, pre-paid boarding, "next bus" signs, and potentially bicycle sharing.

May 13, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Feds Fund Chicago's Congestion Pricing Parking Plan

$153 million in congestion reduction funds that had been awarded to New York City will now go to Chicago to apply congestion pricing to street parking spaces. Funds will also go toward developing pilot Bus Rapid Transit routes on dedicated lanes.

May 1, 2008 - U.S DOT: Office of Public Affairs

Is Suburbia Avoiding Reality?

Michael Gecan uses the Chicago and New York City areas as examples of the challenges facing mature suburbs, examines the ways many are avoiding reality, and draws a series of conclusions.

April 8, 2008 - Boston Review

Sprawl Not an Option for Rural Chicago Suburb

Th small town of Golf, Illinois, is likely to stay that way because of barriers at its borders. Its residents couldn't be happier.

April 3, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Rural County Population Nearly Doubled in Less Than a Decade

With a growth rate of more than 75% over the last seven years, Kendall County, Illinois, is changing fast and the local farming community is struggling to adapt.

March 21, 2008 - The Associated Press

The St. Patrick's Day River

As part of its yearly tradition, officials in Chicago have dyed the Chicago River green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

March 17, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Chicago Eyes an Elevated Bike Trail

The Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail want to convert a three-mile section of abandoned elevated rail line into a bike trail. It could take a decade, but the idea already has the backing of some of the city's power players.

March 14, 2008 - Chicago Public Radio

Is Chicago's 'Transformed' Cabrini-Green 'Too Good for Poor People'?

As a part of Chicago's $1.4 billion "Plan for Transformation," the once massive Cabrini-Green project has been redeveloped into a mix of affordable, public and market housing. But 80% of the former tenants have moved away.

March 13, 2008 - GOOD Magazine

Why Protecting Ballpark's Historic Designation is Good for Chicago

A proposal to sell the naming rights of Chicago's Wrigley Field is being seen as a relaxation of the ballpark's historic landmark restrictions and may open the door for city-wide landmark designation challenges, according to this commentary.

March 3, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Remaking the Waterfront, Remaking the City

This episode of Smart City looks at riverfront redevelopment as a tool for recreating cities.

February 27, 2008 - Smart City

The Surreal Thing: Chicago's Broken Landmarking Process

Even as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the city's landmarks ordinance, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks not only continues to leave many essential buildings unprotected, it's upending the very definition of what a landmark is.

February 25, 2008 - Chicago Reader

Chicago Mayor Demands Better Transit

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has posed a challenge to the city's transit agency to revamp its system to be cleaner and faster, and also to emphasize the creation of retail shops in train stations.

February 15, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Chicago's Pay-to-Play Zoning Redux

A continuation of the series of articles from the Chicago Tribune that look at zoning and the politics that shape the city's land use.

February 12, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Improving Bike Safety By Raising Fines

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is looking to make his city's streets safer for cyclists by raising fines for reckless drivers who endanger bikers.

February 8, 2008 - Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago's Pay-to-Play Zoning

A series of articles from the Chicago Tribune that look at zoning and the politics that shape the city's land use.

January 30, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

Chicago Transit Cuts Averted By Tax Raise

After more than a year with its funding in limbo and its future questionable, the Chicago Transit Authority has been saved from fare hikes and service cuts by an increase in county sales taxes.

January 20, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.