More than a decade ago, the city sold control of its curb parking to private investors.

Writing in Jalopnik, Colin Woodard argues that the city of Chicago’s decision to sell control of its parking meters to a group of private investors in 2008 was, in retrospect, “a disaster for the city.”
“Not only did Morgan Stanley jack up the hourly rate on all 36,000 parking meters, but it also requires the city to compensate it for lost revenue any time something such as a parade or road construction temporarily prevents access to a parking meter.” This includes adding new bus stops, raising another hurdle to expanding the city’s bus network.
Woodard adds, “As it turns out, Morgan Stanley actually paid billions less than the deal was worth, and the contract doesn’t expire until 2084, which means most of us will be dead by the time it’s up.” Woodard links to a video from Climate Town that explains the issue in more depth.
FULL STORY: Chicago Selling Its Parking Meters To Morgan Stanley Has Been A Disaster For The City

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience
Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.

When Borders Blur: Regional Collaboration in Action
As regional challenges outgrow city boundaries, “When Borders Blur” explores how cross-jurisdictional collaboration can drive smarter, more resilient urban planning, sharing real-world lessons from thriving partnerships across North America.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts
Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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