Illinois

Signs Coordinating Public Transit Organizations Could Save Chicago Money
Daniel Kay Hertz argues that, besides improving service, a little signage could save the city of Chicago billions of dollars in service expansion costs.

Driving Uber, Sleeping in Parking Lots
In San Francisco, many who drive for Uber sleep in parking lots and live elsewhere to avoid sky-high rents.

Chicago Could Lose the Blues
An editorial in Crain's suggests that by not taking full advantage of its history with the Blues, Chicago is wasting a precious cultural resource and missing an opportunity for tourism dollars.

How Chicago Got its Cultural Center
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.

First on Chicago's Wish List from the Trump Administration: $1 Billion for Union Station
The Emanuel Administration has yet to secure needed funding for a big project to update Chicago's Union Station. Now it's up to the Trump Administration to supply a needed loan.

Lead Testing Mandated in Illinois Schools
After a scandal exposed widespread lead contamination in Chicago schools, new legislation requires regular lead testing.

Lucas Museum Finally Finds a Home—in Los Angeles
This story has had more twists than the end of Empire Strikes Back, but it seems like it finally might end in Los Angeles.
Chicago Gets a $1.1 Billion Federal Grant for North Side Transit Improvements
The city of Chicago was working hard to win the federal funding while the Obama Administration is still in power.

Sensors Measure Rainwater on Chicago Streets
A smart city pilot project, already in place at three locations in Chicago and on the way to two more, deploys sophisticated data gathering technology to measure the simple act of rainwater running downhill. Better green infrastructure will follow.

Friday Funny: An Imaginary Snowplow Takes a Lot of Days Off
Fans of @BobGunderson and @BicycleLobby will want to check out the Chicago winter version of the sardonic fake Twitter account, @606snowplow.

Philanthropy Key for Separate Bikes and Peds on Chicago's Lakefront Trail
A $12 million gift from a local billionaire will enable a project to give separate access for bike and pedestrians on the popular Lakefront Trail.

Which States Grew and Which Didn't
Texas and Utah were the leaders in growth for the 2015-2016 fiscal year; Illinois lost more residents than any other state.

Embracing Rivers as a Vehicle for Urban Revitalization
A new study includes urban rivers as a potential powerful amenity for economic development and revitalization. The city of Chicago has already taken note.

The Return of Social Justice to the Causes of Environmentalism
The Trump Administration's politics could provide a nudge to bring environmentalism back to its roots in social justice.
Coming to Chicago's Grant Park: A 'Health Park'
A proposal to build a new "health park" in Downtown's Grant Park is still in the early phases,

New Film Documents the Chicago Neighborhood Demolished to Make Way for Railroads
David Schalliol, director of the documentary, 'The Area,' talks about the impact of a railroad expansion that demolished the homes of 400 families on the South Side of Chicago.

More $1 Vacant Lots for Sale in Chicago
With some 20,000 vacant lots located around the city, Chicago is expanding the Large Lots Program that allows property owners to buy nearby lots for $1.
West Side Chicago Votes to Tax Itself to Fund Mental Health Services
After the city's government cut funding to mental health services, closing many of the city's clinics, residents of Chicago's West Side voted overwhelmingly to tax their properties to reverse that trend.

Chicago Elevated Train Funding Passes with Unanimous Support
The Chicago City Council has authorized a billion dollars in funding for upgrades and maintenance for the city's Red, Purple, and Brown Line trains; the city hopes to get additional federal funds before Obama leaves office.

Chicago to Install New Parking Meters to Lessen Impact of Bad Contract
The city of Chicago will install 752 new parking meters in 2017—but still fall far from the Shoupian ideal.
Pagination
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