Illinois

Chicago Suburb

Study: Foreclosure Main Factor in Chicago's 'Black Flight'

More than violent crime or employment rates, foreclosure has largely driven the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Black residents from the city.

March 17, 2022 - Governing

Winter Construction in the City

Corruption Case and a Call for Reform: Aldermanic Privilege Under Scrutiny in Chicago

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is once again pushing to eliminate aldermanic privilege after a federal racketeering case ensnarled local and state elected officials.

March 7, 2022 - Chicago Sun-Times

View of Fountain Square in Evanston, Illinois looking south-southeast towards Chicago and Lake Michigan

Affordable ADU Builder Hopes Co-Op Model Can Catch On

A worker-owned developer in Evanston uses sustainable materials to build efficient, affordable ADUs to help homeowners create generational wealth.

March 6, 2022 - Next City

Maumee River

Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration

An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.

February 24, 2022 - Wyoming News Now

Oil

Democrats Balk at Gov. Newsom's Gas Tax Holiday

Saving motorists 3 cents a gallon may be a slam dunk for Republican leaders in the California legislature who opposed hiking the gas tax in the first place, but Democratic leaders are reluctant to tamper with a hard-fought legislative and ballot win.

February 22, 2022 - The Associated Press

Masks for Public Health

CDC Not Yet On Board with Ending Masking Requirements

Blue states have joined red ones in ending masking orders as COVID cases plummet, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sticking to its guidance: where transmission is 'high' or 'substantial,' universal indoor masking is recommended.

February 13, 2022 - Reuters

Milwaukee Avenue District in Wicker Park, Chicago, IL

Opinion: Repurpose Parking for Bike Lanes and Outdoor Seating

With car parking banned from two blocks of Chicago's Milwaukee Avenue on weekend nights, the city could take the opportunity to permanently adapt the space for other uses.

February 7, 2022 - Streetsblog Chicago

Bus Priority Zones

Op-Ed: Invest More in Chicago's Buses

In addition to funding the city's roadways and trains, Chicago could use new federal infrastructure dollars to shore up its bus system and invest in bus rapid transit that would improve service for riders.

February 3, 2022 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago Traffic Cameras Issue Most Tickets to Black and Latino Drivers

The city's controversial traffic camera program tickets Black and Latino motorists more than white drivers. Infrastructure may play a role in why.

February 2, 2022 - ProPublica

Aerial view of Clark Street

Chicago Seeks Public Input on Clark Street Improvements

The city is creating a strategy for improvements in the Clark Street corridor to improve the area's walkability and stimulate the local economy.

February 1, 2022 - City of Chicago

A street view showing the historic courthouse and jail in Woodstock, Illinois.

Map of Pandemic Real Estate Risk Focuses on New Jersey, Illinois, California

A new study evaluates county-level foreclosure risk, underwater home values, and more real estate market data after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States.

January 21, 2022 - Attom

New "Point to Point" speed cameras on the Hume Highway, Victoria, Australia. Point to Point records your average speed over a set distance.

Study: Speed Cameras Save Lives

Data from Chicago reaffirms the efficacy of speed cameras at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

January 12, 2022 - Streetsblog Chicago

Town Homes

Report Links Housing Growth and Climate Resilience

Data from three U.S. metro areas show a failure to address land use and sprawl as a key factor driving climate change.

December 26, 2021 - The Brookings Institution

An Amtrak passenger train is shown on a spring day, rolling through a rural area in Missouri.

Amtrak Hits New Top Speeds Between St. Louis and Chicago

A project that won funding from federal stimulus programs during the Obama administration is finally paying off on the Amtrak route between Chicago and St. Louis.

December 24, 2021 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

An electric scooter blocks the sidewalk near a street festival in Chicago's West Loop.

Lessons From Five Years of E-Scooters

As cities continue to adapt micromobility regulations to address new devices and technologies, what can we learn from Chicago's five years of e-scooter pilots?

December 9, 2021 - Streetsblog Chicago

View of Wrigleyville neighborhood before a Chicago Cubs game

New Development Continues in Wrigleyville

New mixed-use projects bring residential units, retail, and entertainment venues to the neighborhood surrounding Chicago's Wrigley Field as stadium-adjacent development grows in popularity.

December 1, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Millennium Park Chicago

Chicago Tour Highlights 'Ugly Architecture'

The tour's creator wants to give visitors a different take on the city, pointing out the quirky gems amid its notoriously beautiful buildings.

November 2, 2021 - Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bus

Chicago Transit Authority Hopes to Entice Riders With Cheaper Fares

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in October proposed a $1.75 billion operating budget that will make it cheaper to ride transit in the Windy City.

October 31, 2021 - Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago Street

Chicago Grants Support Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

The eTOD program centers equity as a consideration for new projects.

October 27, 2021 - WBEZ

The exterior of the Civic Opera Building in Chicago, an art deco building built in the 1920s.

Signs of Financial Distress Among Office Properties

The foreclosure risk facing a pair of high-profile office buildings highlight the debt difficulties facing the office sector as it deals with the fallout of the pandemic. The trend could be on the verge of picking up steam.

October 26, 2021 - Cincinnati Business Courier

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.