Illinois

Bike The Drive

Chicago Releases Vision Zero Traffic Safety Plan

Chicago is following in the footsteps of cities around the country (a few years behind the pack) in adopting a Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2026.

June 13, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

71 Street South Side Chicago

Downzoning in the Hopes of Attracting Prestige Businesses

South Side Chicago Alderman Leslie Hairston says downzoning 71st will help 'take control of our corridor,' but some worry the move is a power grab that will ultimately stifle prospects for the neighborhood.

June 11, 2017 - WBEZ

Chicago

Cook County Property Taxes Cheat the Poor

In Cook County, which contains the city of Chicago and some of its suburbs, property values have been manipulated to disguise the value of homes, helping the rich at the expense of the poor (particularly poor minorities).

June 10, 2017 - The Chicago Tribune

Prospect Park Bike Lane

Safety Should Be Just Half the Goal of Vision Zero

A Streetsblog NYC article argues that New York misses an opportunity to make itself more vibrant and accessible by focusing only on safety and not also on active transit infrastructure.

June 9, 2017 - StreetsBlog NYC

L Train

Chicago 'L' Train Celebrates 125th Birthday

The 'L' train has survived calls to be disbanded and a tumultuous century and a quarter to become a, sometimes unreliable, city icon.

June 9, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Frank Lloyd Wright

Celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright's 150th Birthday Today

June 8 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Dezezen has rounded up 10 ways to celebrate nationwide.

June 8, 2017 - Dezeen

Parking Meter

Residence in Chicago's TODs Come With a Major Caveat: No Parking Permits

One big idea behind transit oriented residential developments is that residents will be liberated from their cars. New developments in Chicago are making sure residents won't be parking on streets to get the best of both worlds.

June 4, 2017 - DNAinfo Chicago

Dakota Access Pipeline

The Dakota Access Pipeline Now Pumping Oil

Adding insult to injury in a bad week for environmental causes, the Dakota Access pipeline began shipping oil this week.

June 2, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Downtown, now

Sign of the Times: Developers Deconverting Condos Back to Apartments in Chicago

In the 1970s and 1980s, condo conversions were all the rage in Chicago. In 2017, however, developers are scooping up multi-family buildings en masse and "deconverting" condo units into apartments.

June 2, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago Commuter Rail

Metra Proposes Frequency Changes for the South Side of Chicago

Overall, Chicago's regional train service the Metra has been losing ridership, however, Hyde Park neighborhood stations have seen some growth.

May 31, 2017 - DNA Info

Reimagining the Spaces Under Chicago's Skyway

UIC architecture students competed to design improvements for the spaces under Chicago's South Side "Skyway," which carries drivers from the city to and from Northwest Indiana.

May 30, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

The Windy City

Black Chicagoans Segregated, Regardless of Income

Latino Chicagoans are more likely to live in diverse neighborhoods than whites or blacks do.

May 24, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago Harbor, City Skyline, Illinois

Mapping Chicago's Zoning Code Changes

A new interactive map feature launched by the Chicago Cityscape website maps all the zoning changes up for approval around the city.

May 22, 2017 - Chicago Cityscape

Chicago

Leaving Chicago's South Shore

Middle class African Americans are leaving Chicago, and that leaves neighborhoods like the city's South Shore reeling.

May 17, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Jackson Park

Obama: Pedestrianize Street Next to Presidential Center

Barack Obama supports closing Cornell Drive, a six-lane road next to the future site of the Obama Presidential Center, to automobile access. He cites safety concerns and the need for green space.

May 11, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

Chicago Winter

Distracted Drivers Get Few Tickets in Chicago

Police in Chicago issued 99% fewer distracted driving tickets in 2016 than in 2015.

May 10, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Skaters

Planned Skate Park Killed Near Chicago's 606

A planned Bucktown skate park will not be built and many neighbors are celebrating.

May 9, 2017 - DNA Info

park at night

Do Good Fences Make Good Neighborhood Parks?

A Chicago city park, recently redesigned to be more welcoming, could become less so in its final form. Neighbors complaining about "really shady" park visitors are lobbying for a 6-foot fence to be included in the park's multi-million dollar revamp.

May 8, 2017 - DNA Info

Bicycle Track

Cyclists Still Waiting for Chicago's Navy Pier Flyover

Delays and slow financing have kept a Navy Pier flyover grounded, and cyclists are tired of getting hit as they bike around the construction.

May 7, 2017 - The Chicago Reader

Jefferson Park Chicago

First Look at the Future Obama Presidential Center

The former president and first lady released a first look at the designs for the future site of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago.

May 3, 2017 - 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.