Casey Brazeal is a Chicago-based writer and planner. His background includes time as a research assistant at the Urban Transportation Center and as a reporter with a weekly column for Extra Newspaper in Chicago. He’s also published news stories and interviews for New City Newspaper, Vócalo Radio and Site Sketch 101. Casey received a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois in Chicago. While at UIC Casey received a certificate in Public Transit Planning and Management.

Downzoning in the Hopes of Attracting Prestige Businesses
South Side Chicago Alderman Leslie Hairston says downzoning 71st will help 'take control of our corridor,' but some worry the move is a power grab that will ultimately stifle prospects for the neighborhood.

Internet of Things Brings More Surveillance and Vulnerabilities to Cities
Too often, smart city technology is described as an innocuous tool, but Adam Greenfield argues the technology acquiring this data will be used to distribute city resources, an inherently political act.

Cook County Property Taxes Cheat the Poor
In Cook County, which contains the city of Chicago and some of its suburbs, property values have been manipulated to disguise the value of homes, helping the rich at the expense of the poor (particularly poor minorities).

Safety Should Be Just Half the Goal of Vision Zero
A Streetsblog NYC article argues that New York misses an opportunity to make itself more vibrant and accessible by focusing only on safety and not also on active transit infrastructure.

Hey, Young People! Stay in Your Parents’ House Forever!
A new voice in the unending chorus of complaints about Millennials, the Wall Street Journal reports that Millennials should be blamed for wanting to live in places that are popular to live in, and implies they should spend more time driving.