Illinois

The Problems With Tax Increment Financing and How to Fix Them
Tax increment financing (TIF) districts are common in municipalities across the country. However, the economic development tool is also poorly understood and often the target of criticism.

Study Finds Fewer Young People Want Cars
Driving is often marketed as fun and liberating, but millennials aren’t buying it.

Chicago Parklet Designed to Be Flexible and Cost Effective
A newly installed parklet in Chicago is part of a larger program to engage the city’s public spaces.

Post-Amazon Chicago: Mayor Seeks $1.7 Billion in Subsidies for Downtown Developments
Making the case that proposed developments won't come to fruition with support from tax increment financing, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is moving quickly to shore up development plans now that Amazon has moved on.

Are Chicago's Transit Oriented Developments Generating Enough Affordable Housing?
Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood is the scene for a very contemporary land use policy debate: how much affordable housing can cultivated from the development opportunities in proximity to transit lines?

Chicago Wants Bike Sharing to Reach All Parts of City
The city recently received a grant that will help it grow its bike-share network, particularly into areas that have been underserved.

Chicago's Low Income Neighborhoods Face Worst Pollution, Study Finds
A report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that Chicago's South and West sides face more air pollution than the wealthier parts of the city.

A Bus Service Report Card for Chicago
A new report card from the Active Transportation Alliance gave mostly C's and D's to bus service in the city of Chicago.

No Fare Hikes for Chicago in 2019 Budget
The Chicago Transit Agency 2019 includes a flyover at the Belmont train station, rehabs for two Blue Line stops, and Red and Purple Line modernizations, among other things.

Chicago Creates Incentives for Transit Oriented Developments Along Bus Routes
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration will expand its program to incentivize transit oriented development by including land around the 79th Street and Chicago Avenue bus routes.

Chicago and New York: Two Transit Systems, Two Very Different Outcomes
Both cities have aging transit systems in need of major repairs. Chicago’s approach has helped turn the system around while New York is still grappling with its issues.

Aldermanic Obstruction Too Strong for Former Chicago Spire Site Plans
Developers Related Midwest have new plans for the infamously failed development site, but have so far been stymied by demands from the office of Alderman Brendan Reilly.

Dynamic Parking Prices Lack Political Will, Local Support Near Wrigley Field
Setting the example for the rest of city was too tough a pill to swallow for businesses located near Wrigley Field.

A Cautionary Tale of Mega-Project Planning
"There’s a dramatic difference, Cityfront Center shows, between real estate success and building a great city."

Regional Planning Stuck in Neutral in Chicagoland?
With the approval of the ON TO 2050 regional plan, some advocates see more of the same car-centric planning. Perhaps the state can finally shift the discussion.

'Huge' Office Campus Redevelopment Near Sears Headquarters Set to Go Forward
A sizable former AT&T campus in suburban Chicago will be redeveloped into mixed-use, despite "sluggish" local leasing activity and the potential closure of Sears' nearby headquarters.

Study: Older States Tend to Have Worse Finances
A report suggests that the older a state is, the more likely it is that special interests have entrenched themselves, negatively impacting the public purse.

Chicago Moves Forward Legislation on Obama Presidential Center
The former president's Obama Presidential Center, to be constructed in Chicago's Jackson Park, has faced opposition from nearby residents concerned about its effects on the area.

Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee Becomes Debate Issue in Illinois Gubernatorial Race
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner might as well have accused his Democratic opponent of wanting to hike the gas tax. J.B. Pritzker denies he plans to introduce a VMT fee but admits that he's open to all ideas to raise revenue to maintain infrastructure.

Another Chicago Skyscraper Sign Controversy
Regulations crafted in the wake of the Trump sign controversy of 2014 could be relaxed to let Salesforce leave its mark on the city of Chicago's skyline.
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