Illinois
Chicago's Pullman Park District to Achieve National Monument Status
President Barack Obama is expected to announce the Pullman Park neighborhood in Chicago as the country's newest national monument. The move is part of a larger effort to recognize more diversity in the country's public lands.
A New Interactive Mapping Tool Showcases Chicago Region's Mobility Infrastructure Needs
A new interactive mapping tool, created by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, makes the case for a renewed, regional focus on the infrastructure that moves the region.
Emanuel Campaign Announces Neighborhood-Level Infrastructure Plans
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, busy on the campaign trail for re-election this week, made a big push for infrastructure investments at the neighborhood level.
Chicago Transit Facing $36 Billion Capital Investment Shortfall
Chicago transit agencies are falling behind its needed capital investments. A new report estimates that the CTA, Metra, and Pace will need to spend $36 billion over the next decade to catch up.

Urban Millennials Stuck in the Three Largest U.S. Metros
For a variety of economic reasons in addition to urban preferences, young people are not leaving the country's three major metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and that's not good for the nation's economy nor the individuals.
Land Swap could Bring Obama Presidential Library to Chicago's South Side
Chicago is putting the pieces in place to land the Obama Library. One proposal hinges on the availability of parkland on the South Side near the University of Chicago.
Haitians Lay Foundation for Hope 5 Years After Earthquake
Despite what some see as slow progress five years after an earthquake rocked Haiti, architect and sustainability consultant Dave Hampton writes about how he and others see hope for the future.

When 'Gentrification is Good'
Looking a little closer at a city not called New York, San Francisco, or Boston, one writer argues that gentrification is often a good thing.
Transportation Journalism Suffers Losses in 2015
Transportation readers who prefer reading a less auto-centric perspective of issues will see losses this year, as budgetary constraints at Streetsblog caused the layoff of Tanya Snyder of Streetsblog USA and the temporary loss of Streetsblog Chicago.
Urban Agriculture Projects in Chicago Show the Way
Successful Chicago urban agriculture projects on rooftop, in edible lawn, and at a school reviewed by resilience consultant Dave Hampton.
Explained: How CTA Heat Lamps Warm Commuters
Much of the United States went through a cold snap in recent days. How many of you transit commuters sought refuge under heat lamps this week?
Mapping Chicago's Current Wave of Transit Oriented Development Projects
Patrick Sisson reports on the fruits of a 2013 effort by the city of Chicago to codify transit oriented development.

Everybody Loves Dive Bars—So Why Aren't They Easier to Protect?
An Esquire article about the disappearance of neighborhood dive bars in cities like Chicago asks why people to support their local watering hole.
Op-Ed Criticizes Dog Owners' Use of Public Spaces in Chicago
A scathing op-ed by Joanne Cleaver provides a laundry list of public spaces and parks in Chicago spoiled, in her opinion, by heavy use from the canine companions of residents.
Chicago Moving Forward with Residential High Rise Designed by Robert A.M. Stern
The Chicago Plan Commission approved a 67-story residential high rise earlier this month, as the latest evidence of the city's changing skyline.
Op-Ed: Put Chicago on a Road Diet
"The city should consider road diets for all streets with excess car capacity, although they're not always politically easy," writes John Greenfield.

Big Cities Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority
New data released Dec. 19 by NHTSA shows increased safety for those traveling by car, but pedestrian fatalities are 15% higher than in 2009. Plans by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to increase ped safety are described by the WSJ.

Details on Chicago's First Shared Street
Planners are crafting the details of Chicago's first shared street, where pedestrians will rule.
Charting the Decline of Chicago's Middle-Class Neighborhoods
A post on the Chicago magazine site dives into research showing how Chicago has segregated by income since the 1970s.
An In-Depth Look at the Indiana Toll Road Bankruptcy
Angie Schmitt and Payton Chung have created a three-part series on the Indiana Toll Road and how its example informs the use of private finance to build and maintain highways.
Pagination
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