Illinois

Jackson Park

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.

May 11, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

Chicago Winter

Distracted Drivers Get Few Tickets in Chicago

Police in Chicago issued 99% fewer distracted driving tickets in 2016 than in 2015.

May 10, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Skaters

Planned Skate Park Killed Near Chicago's 606

A planned Bucktown skate park will not be built and many neighbors are celebrating.

May 9, 2017 - DNA Info

park at night

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.

May 8, 2017 - DNA Info

Bicycle Track

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.

May 7, 2017 - The Chicago Reader

Jefferson Park Chicago

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.

May 3, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

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.

April 30, 2017 - Chicago Reader

Commuter Rail

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.

April 29, 2017 - South Side Weekly

Litter

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.

April 28, 2017 - Next City

Chicago's Wabash Lights Concept Could Expand

An art instillation of colorful LED lights hanging under the L on Wabash looks to grow.

April 27, 2017 - Curbed

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.

April 23, 2017 - DNA Info

Chicago

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.

April 21, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

Freeway Construction

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."

April 20, 2017 - Illinois PIRG

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.

April 17, 2017 - The Washington Post

Food Trucks

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.

April 13, 2017 - Chicago Reader

Chicago Apartments

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.

April 10, 2017 - Chicago Tonight

Chicago Bungalows

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.

April 9, 2017 - Chicago Magazine

Illinois

New Graphic Novel 'No Small Plans' Aims to Inspire Teens

A new graphic novel has magic to stir blood.

April 7, 2017 - CityLab

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.

March 24, 2017 - DNAinfo Chicago

Red Light Camera

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.

March 23, 2017 - Chi.Streetsblog

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.