Illinois

Obama: Pedestrianize Street Next to Presidential Center
Barack Obama supports closing Cornell Drive, a six-lane road next to the future site of the Obama Presidential Center, to automobile access. He cites safety concerns and the need for green space.

Distracted Drivers Get Few Tickets in Chicago
Police in Chicago issued 99% fewer distracted driving tickets in 2016 than in 2015.

Planned Skate Park Killed Near Chicago's 606
A planned Bucktown skate park will not be built and many neighbors are celebrating.

Do Good Fences Make Good Neighborhood Parks?
A Chicago city park, recently redesigned to be more welcoming, could become less so in its final form. Neighbors complaining about "really shady" park visitors are lobbying for a 6-foot fence to be included in the park's multi-million dollar revamp.

Cyclists Still Waiting for Chicago's Navy Pier Flyover
Delays and slow financing have kept a Navy Pier flyover grounded, and cyclists are tired of getting hit as they bike around the construction.

First Look at the Future Obama Presidential Center
The former president and first lady released a first look at the designs for the future site of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago.

Eviction Hot Spot: Chicago's South Shore
Rising rents and low income residents have made this South Side neighborhood a locus for evictions and forced moves.

A Simple Idea to Fix Transit on Chicago's South Side
On Chicago's massive south side, fixing transit means working on more than just CTA trains.

Bag Tax Making a Big Difference in Chicago, Study Finds
NYU study finds 30% decrease in use of disposable bags since the city of Chicago implemented a seven-cent tax on them.
Chicago's Wabash Lights Concept Could Expand
An art instillation of colorful LED lights hanging under the L on Wabash looks to grow.
After Drive By Shooting, Chicago Aims to Ban Guns in Party Buses
Chicago City Council is moving to close a loop hole in its gun control laws which forbid guns in bars, but do not cover party buses.

New Public Space Outside Wrigley Field Just Another Win for Chicago
Chicago Cubs fans looking to bask in the glory of the team's first World Series victory since 1908 will find a new public plaza and lawn next to the stadium. The plaza will be open to the public on non-baseball days too.

PIRG Releases Third Highway Boondoggles Report
A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Frontier Group indicates that highway boondoggles have been getting bigger, more costly, with the benefits more limited. Nine projects are analyzed in "Highway Boondoggles 3."
New Facility Captures Atmospheric Carbon and Stores it Underground
On April 7, the illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage commenced operations, taking carbon that corn sequestered from the atmosphere and storing it safely almost a mile and a half underground in a sandstone formation.

What Happened to the Chicago Food Truck Movement?
In Chicago, food trucks are disappearing and some blame the city’s stepped up enforcement of regulations and fines.

Chicago Pays Billions for Continued Segregation
The Urban Institute and the Metropolitan Planning Council studied the social and economic impacts of segregation in the Chicago region.

Property Values in a Changing Chicago
Chicago has long struggled with segregation and great disparities between neighborhoods; to understand what's happening in its property markets, the city must be explored on a neighborhood level.

New Graphic Novel 'No Small Plans' Aims to Inspire Teens
A new graphic novel has magic to stir blood.
Disabled Residents in Jefferson Park Hope Controversial Building Comes Through
Apartment building with subsidized units for the disabled has drawn protest and support, Alex Nitkin talked to some of the people hoping to move into the apartments.

Chicago Red Light Cameras Making Streets Safer, Study Finds
A Northwestern University study found that Chicagoans ran fewer red lights after cameras were installed, even at intersections that don't have cameras.
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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.
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