Blair Kamin says that Chicago's new master plan for the Lakeview neighborhood is full of big and "audacious" ideas, including a park under the El and many pedestrian improvements.
The master plan is also very pro-business, says Kamin:
"At root, this is a business blueprint, primarily aimed at drawing new stores to the area and bolstering those already there. Yet it also makes an intelligent case that there's a link between good design and good business, echoing the same theme in Daniel Burnham's great 1909 Plan of Chicago. Offer shoppers a pleasing pedestrian experience, it argues, and they'll linger instead of zipping in and out of a single store."
The plan proposes widening sidewalks, adding street trees and building pocket parks.
Lincoln Common, a 1.1-Million-Square-Foot Development, Takes Shape in Chicago
A massive new development in Chicago's Lincoln Park is taking shape, and the local architecture critic has offered a positive review of the final product.
A Cautionary Tale of Mega-Project Planning
"There’s a dramatic difference, Cityfront Center shows, between real estate success and building a great city."
Demolition Starts for CTA's Controversial Flyover Project
The Chicago Transit Authority's Red-Purple Bypass Project will add an additional track to speed up trains passing through the Belmont Station. The project requires the demolition of several neighborhood buildings.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service