Illinois
Wal-Mart Testing New Format To Lure Urban Shoppers
In an effort to compete with discount chains that appeal to a more urbane demographic, Wal-Mart may change its store format for a new Chicago area store.
Chicago Passes Landmark Minimum Wage Ordinance
Chicago's City Council passed a landmark ordinance yesterday that requires big-box stores to pay a minimum wage of $10 per hour by 2010 plus $3 an hour worth of benefits.
Top-Down Greening In The Urban Core
Can cities get back in touch with nature? Planners, developers, architects, and policy makers convened in Los Angeles June 7 to face the challenge and develop a plan of action to help bring life onto the rooftops of L.A.'s downtown.
Illinois' New Smart Growth Tax Breaks
The state will provide financial incentives to businesses who locate near transit and affordable housing.
Students Discover Their History Buried in Illinois Town
Life in a community of freed slaves is mapped and documented by young descendents.
The Charm Of Brick Streets
Chicago area communities restore brick streets for aesthetics and traffic-calming.
Greenest American Roofs Are In Chicago
Filling empty Chicago rooftops with plants seemed a little strange six years ago when Mayor Richard Daley installed a garden on the roof of city hall. But now more than 200 buildings in Chicago boast rooftop gardens, and the trend is spreading.
Chicago Uses Website For Regional Transportation Strategy
The new website provides information and a forum for residents to give feedback on transportation funding.
McMansions Squeezing Out Smaller Homes
As large McMansions move into suburban areas, many of the smaller older houses are being pushed out of the neighborhood by higher taxes, or by demolition to make room for larger homes.
Chicago Peddles 500-Mile Bike Path Proposal
Inspired by European biking models, the "Bike 2015 Plan" envisions a city flooded with bicycle commuters using a well-developed infrastructure within 10 years.
Sharpening 'Ruppie' Skills For Downtown Living
Urban planner Kyle Ezell has developed a course to teach suburbanites the "skills" required for downtown living. It promotes the "ruppie", or "retired urban people" lifestyle.
Chicago's Millenium Park Sparks High End Housing Development
Modernist park design inspires modernist residential buildings, increasing real estate values in Chicago's East Loop.
Chicago Fair Housing Agency Closes Its Doors
Formed with the help of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and legions of African Americans discriminated against during the Civil Rights era, the agency that helped pass the federal Fair Housing Act will close.
Chicago Considers Living Wage For Big Box Stores
Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and other big box stores could pay Chicago employees a "living wage" as early as next month.
Should Illinois Sell Its State Tollway?
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Ralph Martire says that the project warrants careful analysis before the state decides to sell-off a profit-making asset to reduce deficit.
Developing A Formal Methodology For Studying Obesity And Urban Design
The Int. Journal of Health Geographics publishes a study on how "GIS and cluster analysis makes it possible to objectively characterize urban neighborhoods and to select comparable and/or contrasting neighborhoods for community-based health studies."
From The Illinois River To The River Nile
A new development at the confluence of the River Nile has brought an Illinois planner back to her native country of Sudan.
Chicago Goes Green And Stimulates Growth
The "City in a Garden" lives up to its motto, using tons of versatile mulch to promote sustainability and improve quality of life.
Tower Planned For Chicago's South Shore
Proposed 20-story tower could be first new high-rise in three decades for Chicago's South Side area.
Highway Construction Forcing Car-Loving Commuters To Trains
Despite their undying love of cars, Chicago commuters are grudgingly hopping on the train to avoid congestion from the "Dan Ryan Dig," a $600 million project to improve the "busiest road in Illinois."
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
