Illinois

Acknowledging that many neighborhoods in Chicago have seen dramatic improvements in livability and income levels, one writer could still identify two Chicagos: “Global Chicago” and “Rust Belt Chicago.”

March 19, 2014 - The Corner Side Yard

Comparing the demographic changes of Cleveland and Chicago, the results might surprise you: “Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) is experiencing brain gain. Chicago (Cook County) has brain drain.”

March 15, 2014 - Pacific Standard

Cook County is in the early stages of public outreach for its first transportation plan since the 1940 “Highway Plan for Cook County.”

March 10, 2014 - Chi.Streetsblog

The Second City does not suffer for picturesque vantage points or large personalities, making it a natural fit for CNN to study in a new documentary miniseries.

March 7, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

At a recent hearing of the Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force, experts like Peter Skosey made the case for the types of changes necessary to meet Chicago’s goals for increased transit ridership, focusing on transit oriented development.

March 6, 2014 - Chi.Streetsblog

A $226 million contract to build 32 higher speed diesel locomotives, capable of reaching 125 mph, was awarded to the team of the German conglomerate, Siemens AG and Indiana-based engine maker Cummins, Inc over Peoria, Ill. based Caterpillar, Inc.

March 4, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

The proposed Ashland Bus Rapid Transit line in Chicago, the latest effort in an ambitious multi-modal transportation investment plan by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former Chicago DOT Commissioner Gabe Klein, is a game changer for an already unique city.

February 28, 2014 - The Atlantic Cities

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is well known among planners as a cheap method to improve bus service and provide an alternative to rail, but BRT projects around the country have met resistance from an array of status quo interests.

February 26, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

The state of Illinois is actively pushing two highway projects that might fail to pencil-out for users and for state taxpayers.

February 15, 2014 - Chi.Streetsblog

The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge opened to vehicle traffic over the weekend. The 1,500-foot cable-stayed span across the Mississippi River is touted as a traffic relief infrastructure.

February 10, 2014 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The first step to solving the transit “desert” problem is identifying where those deserts are. But that’s easier said than done.

February 9, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

Dealing with the scars left by past tornadoes, towns like Greensburg, Kansas, have involved the community in planning efforts to rebuild and reimagine the future.

February 3, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago's big-data projects seem unwieldy, but there is a sound core plan informing them.

January 26, 2014 - Future Cities

The October opening of a new 1.9-mile stretch of road on Chicago’s Southside anticipates a 40-year master plan for the Lakeside development—600 acres of new development in the middle of one of the country’s largest cities.

January 24, 2014 - The Architect's Newspaper

Completed in 1880 as a company town by railcar tycoon George Pullman, the 300-acre Pullman Historic District in Chicago could be a beautiful addition to the National Park System.

January 24, 2014 - The Architect's Newspaper

21 months after Chicago's Infrastructure Trust was launched by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the program finally has its first approved project. After delays and substantial downsizing, Bank of America will invest $13 million in energy efficiency improvements.

January 23, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

Once left for dead by the Bush Administration and subsequently revived by the Obama Administration, the FutureGen clean coal project was granted approval by the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction could begin this year.

January 17, 2014 - Associated Press via The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Facing a shortfall of more than $1 million to maintain its roads, the Chicago suburb of Long Grove is looking to privatize nearly half of them by asking residents to pick up the tab. Residents are unhappy about the plan, but see few alternatives.

January 14, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

Call it the Lac-Mégantic effect - the July 6 conflagration that leveled the downtown, killing 47 people, has implications for all jurisdictions where oil and freight trains run. Cities must recognize that rail insurance policies are woefully lacking.

January 14, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

As Chicago's population surged in the second decade of the 20th century, one dominant single-family housing type spread across the city. Over the next year the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association will celebrate these distinctive homes.

January 7, 2014 - WBEZ