Illinois

Chicago

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.

January 30, 2017 - Chicago Magazine

Uber Lyft Departure

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.

January 26, 2017 - Bloomberg Business

Chicago Blues

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.

January 26, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago Cultural Center

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.

January 17, 2017 - Soft City

Union Station Chicago

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.

January 14, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Schools

Lead Testing Mandated in Illinois Schools

After a scandal exposed widespread lead contamination in Chicago schools, new legislation requires regular lead testing.

January 13, 2017 - Politico

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

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.

January 11, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

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.

January 9, 2017 - The Chicago Tribune

No Dumping

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.

January 4, 2017 - Data-Smart City Solutions

Bike Lane in the Snow

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.

December 23, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Chicago Lakefront Trail

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.

December 22, 2016 - Chicago Sun Times

The Chicago Bean At Sunrise

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.

December 21, 2016 - U.S. Census Bureau

Chicago Riverwalk

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.

December 19, 2016 - Chicago Magazine

Environmental Justice

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.

December 19, 2016 - The Atlantic

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,

December 18, 2016 - DNAInfo

Englewood

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.

December 14, 2016 - Chicagoist

Englewood Southside Neighborhood

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.

December 14, 2016 - Chicago Tribune

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.

December 9, 2016 - Chicago Tonight

Chicago El

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.

December 2, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Chicago Tow Truck

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.

November 29, 2016 - DNAinfo Chicago

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.