The history of the Chicago Cultural Center, "the nation's first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue," offers insight into the shifting relationships between culture, politics, and money in the third-largest city in the United States.
Built in the 1890s to house the Chicago Public Library, a block-long Beaux Arts building across from Millennium Park was reborn as the Chicago Cultural Center in 1991. Throughout its lifespan, the building has offered a broad range of free public services, much of it targeted to artists and audiences underserved by other major institutions in the city.
FULL STORY: From library to cultural center in Chicago
Theaster Gates Brings Together Planning and Art to Empower Communities
His work in Chicago has created spaces that protect and celebrate black lives and experience.
Pigs Will Not Fly at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago
The city denied an application for an art installation that would have tethered giant golden pigs to a barge on the Chicago River, temporarily interrupting the view of the sign on the infamous Trump sign.
Cincinnati welcomes artists leaving the coasts
For the founders of young art center Wave Pool, Cincinnati offers opportunities unmatched by the coastal cultural meccas.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
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