Illinois
Controversy Emerges Over Chicago's Polka Dot Intersection
Local residents are upset with the effects of the placemaking installment in Chicago, opened this spring—namely slower traffic and a polka dot color scheme. An article in DNAinfo points out that slowing traffic was kind of the point.
Chicago's Golden Goose
Once known as "Little Hell" for its copious industrial plants, Goose Island is a rare, relatively undeveloped investment opportunity. Centrally located, it may one day house swanky offices.
Big Challenges Ahead for Chicago's O'Hare Airport
After spending $10 billion since 2005 on capital improvements, Chicago's O'Hare is still losing business to competitors along with the battle of public opinion.
The Man Who Made Chicago Easy to Navigate
Edward Brennan waged an extended turn-of-the-century campaign to clean up Chicago's then-confusing address numbering system. Though few recognize his name, Brennan's legacy lives on in modern Chicago.
Flooding Provides a Scare for Chicago's Two New Public Spaces
The damage could have been a lot worse, but surely flooding that temporarily closed down the Chicago Riverwalk and The 606 elevated bikeway will require additional evaluation by project planners and engineers.
The End of the Illiana Expressway Is Nigh
According to a recent op-ed, the Illiana Expressway "was built upon faulty assumptions, and motivated largely by crony intentions."
Meet the 606: Chicago's New Elevated Bikeway and Park
Following in the footsteps of the High Line in New York City, Chicago opened a 2.7-mile elevated park, which has already been extremely popular in its first week. Here we round up the initial reactions to The 606, as the new park is called.
New Section of the Chicago Riverwalk Open to the Public
A newly opened section of the Chicago Riverwalk lets the public get up close and personal with the Chicago River. And there's more to come.
Trendy Chicago Taco Bell to Serve Alcoholic Drinks
Would you like a cerveza with that? A hip neighborhood in Chicago will play host to the first alcohol-serving Taco Bell. Isolated incident, or the future of fast food?
To Protect Pedestrians, Keep the Cameras
Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago pedestrian advocacy group, urges Mayor Rahm Emanuel to improve red light cameras rather than remove them. Despite complaints from drivers, well-advertised cameras can reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Environmental Review Backs Flyover Plans for El Tracks on Chicago's Northside
After an initial proposal a year ago, prompting immediate and strong criticism, the Chicago Transit Authority has completed its environmental assessment of a proposal designed to improve service capacity at the infamous bottleneck of Clark Junction.
Better Late Than Never: A Regional Transit Plan for Metropolitan Detroit
Detroit is infamous for its lack of regional transit (or local transit for that matter), but the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan this month launched a master planning process that could finally fill some of the region's gaps.
154 Cities Earn Marks in Updated Bike Score Rankings
Walk Score released an updated ranking of the best cities for biking—including Bike Scores for a total of 154 U.S. cities—in time for Bike to Work Week and National Bike Month.
Open Space Preservation Creates Rift Between Local, County Officials
Local officials in Lake County, located north of Chicago, are concerned about the revenue implications of a decision to preserve a parcel of land they view as a potential commercial development.
Bay Area's Newest Commuter Rail Service on Display
The Northwestern Pacific RR served Marin and Sonoma counties and the North Coast in the 1890s. The route of the new SMART train, while not as long, will run in the same right-of-way, starting next year. One new train was on display in San Rafael.
State Bill Would Add TIFs Along Transit Lines in Chicago
Expanded use of tax increment financing is on the table in Chicago—a city that invests less than its peers on building and running transit.
Welcome to the 'Age of Animals as Infrastructure'
Animals are more than just guests or co-habitants in our cities, according to an article in New Scientist—they're a critical component of the infrastructure that keeps cities running.
Mapping Chicago's 375 Tax Increment Financing Projects
A new mapping project allows new access to information about Chicago's controversial tax increment financing mechanism. Now at least the debate will include visuals.
Study Finds New Evidence that Place Determines Income Mobility
A new study by Harvard economists provides the best evidence yet that where children grow up matters to the outcomes of their lives.
Park Advocates Face Uphill Battle Against Obama Library, Lucas Museum
Geoff Edgers details the challenge ahead for park advocates fighting to protect Chicago open space from two powerful forces: the White House and George Lucas.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
