Chicago
It's Official: No More 'Paper or Plastic' in California
If you forget to bring a bag, pay a dime for either a paper or reusable plastic bag. Single-use plastic bags will disappear from grocery stores and pharmacies on July 1, convenience and liquor stores a year later. A composting bill was also signed.
State Funding Sends Divvy Bikeshare to the Suburbs
Divvy—Chicago's popular bikeshare system—is expanding to farther flung areas of the metropolitan area, thanks to state funding approved by the governor.
Report Details Shortcomings in Chicago's Transportation System
In many ways, Chicagoland's transportation system is the envy of other American cities, but a new report says that lack of coordination and fragmented authority costs the area in economic development potential.
First All-Electric Garbage Truck Hits the Road in Chicago
The first and only all-electric garbage truck in North America gets rolling in Chicago, working on residential refuse and recycling routes.
110-mph Talgo Trains Headed to Michigan [Corrected]
If the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) approves the order, two Wisconsin-manufactured Talgo train sets will reduce travel times from Detroit to Chicago by as much as two hours while significantly increasing on-time performance.
Criticism for Chicago's Lucas Museum Planning Process
Chicago won the opportunity to house the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, proposed for a location at Chicago's Museum Campus. But critics are gathering with questions about how the museum will fit into the city's fabric.
Transit Oriented Development Ordinance in Chicago Saves Space and Money
A recently adopted ordinance allows developers to build significantly fewer parking spaces for projects in proximity to transit stations. Developers have already responded to the advantages offered by the reduced requirements.
Mapping the Shrinking Neighborhoods of Chicago
Daniel Kay Hertz shares a map tracking the population of neighborhoods in Chicago since 1950, providing insights into how the city has changed.
Survey Finds Chicago Drivers Failing to Yield for Pedestrians
A study finds that most drivers disregard for the rights of pedestrians to cross the road. Visual cues, however, provided by street design, greatly increase the likelihood that drivers will yield.
The United States' Top Large City for Biking Is...
Portland (top city in 2012)? Minneapolis (top city in 2010)? No, it's the Big Apple! New York City leaped from #7 in 2012 to the top spot this year for cities with populations of 100,000 or greater.
Does Chicago Have the 'Divvy Blues'?
A recent article details some of the complaints about the lack of reach and bikes in Chicago's growing and popular Divvy bikeshare system.
$102 Million Brings Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail a Step Closer
A $102 million investment by Illinois along with federal funds from the Recovery Act will pay for double-tracking and a new rail bridge to enable 109 mph service on a key section of Amtrak's Chicago to St. Louis high speed rail corridor.
Watch: How the Chicago Riverwalk Project Will Transform the City
Sasaki Associates has produced a video about the under-construction Chicago Riverwalk. The lesson for all cities from the video, as well as the project: "If you can imagine it, you can built it."
Chicago Parks District Offers Opportunities to Camp in the Urban Wild
Camping isn't for everyone, but everyone who wants to camp should get an opportunity to. A growing program run by the Chicago Park District allows residents to heed the call of the wild, right inside the city.
Chicago Metra Rail Struggles with High Rates of Suicide
Chicago's Metra commuter rail service has a big problem on its hands: Distressed people are resorting to using train tracks to end their lives at a higher rate than in other major cities. Would partnering with a suicide-hotline agency stem the tide?
A Planner's Guide to Chicago
Pete Saunders, blogger with the Corner Side Yard and professional planning consultant, wrote a post explaining Chicago for the U.K. publication Guardian Cities.
Op-Ed: Chicago's Washington Park a Perfect Fit for TIF
An op-ed in the Chicago Tribune addresses the long history of tax increment financing abuse in Chicago, but supports a proposed TIF district for Washington Park.
Divvy Expands Bike-Sharing Stations
Adding 175 new stations by Spring 2015, the Divvy expansion would add 1,750 bicycles to the system in wards further away from the downtown core.
Can Chicago's Tech Boom Benefit the South Side?
With tech businesses setting up shop in Chicago's Loop, what it will take to attract companies out to neighborhoods like Garfield Park and Englewood?
Study uses Google Street View to Assess Gentrification
By assessing three different groups of indicators, researchers were able to tour thousands of blocks in Chicago through Google Street View and compare visual signs of reinvestment and renewal between 2007 and 2009.
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
