The United States spends more than $200 billion annually on transportation system operations, maintenance, and capital projects. Could feedback from people who live and help lead community-based organizations in the places where those funds are being spent help ensure better investment and funding decisions? We think the answer is yes.  This compensation isn't just about fairness. Staff at Center for Neighborhood Technology with input from partners like NRDC, ... Continue reading »

Jokes about zoning and how many parking spots it takes to get a building constructed in Chicago don't go over in every crowd — but they got knowing laughs from many at the Elevated Works end-of-year celebration for community-based developers and coaches at The Starling. Carlos, Karla and Rafa Robles, the siblings and principals of Duo Development, welcomed some 50 attendees from other Elevated Works projects and technical assistance organizations to the space, which is also home to... Continue reading »

  CNT is excited to announce a new partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center to develop the Chicago Community Planning Academy. The Chicago Community Planning Academy creates a thriving community of empowered participants who actively engage in formal planning and design processes to advocate for and create more equitable, healthy, and vibrant neighborhoods through continuous, equity-centered education and networking. Applications are now open – we and our... Continue reading »

Our housing as infrastructure conversation in mid-November brought together attorneys and advocates to talk about the intersection of housing justice and climate justice. Panelists Meleah Geertsma from Alliance for the Great Lakes and Kennedy Moehrs Gardner from Equity Legal Services shared experiences working with the people of Centreville, Illinois (now Cahokia Heights, IL) in southern Illinois, and highlighted parallels to flooding and sanitation issues in Northeast Illinois. They... Continue reading »

en español Communities like McKinley Park miss out on federal Justice40 benefits by a narrow margin. It doesn’t have to be that way. The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) aims to identify “disadvantaged census tracts” for prioritizing federal funding and informing the national Justice40 initiative, but we wondered – are there instances where the tool fails to identify communities that residents and organizers on the ground know are overburdened by pollution? When... Continue reading »

  The hyper-modern single-story blue building at the corner of 16th and Sawyer gives off vibes that are one part coffee shop, one part community space—just as envisioned by the Robles siblings, who run the lead firm on the project, the nonprofit Duo Development. The new building, named Starling—inspired by the ways large groups of the birds can generate figures when they come together—serves as a proof of concept for the firm's ideas. "We call it our album drop," Rafael 'Rafa'... Continue reading »

Advocates want the proposed North DuSable Lake Shore Drive to accommodate more transit access and climate-friendly solutions than the current proposal includes. ChiStock Images photo   Center for Neighborhood Technology is a proud member of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and partner of Better Streets Chicago. This is one of several stories we plan to highlight transit issues in the coming months.   Phase one of the multibillion-dollar North DuSable Lake Shore Drive... Continue reading »

We and the American Lung Association are part of the federally funded STELLAR project to promote equitable transportation electrification and decarbonization in communities. About a year into the work, we're finding that expanding access to clean transportation looks different in each STELLAR community. In Bronzeville, as this profile highlights, it’s all about bringing together tourism, technology, and transportation. “We innovate around tourism, transportation and technology,” says... Continue reading »

Public investment in local projects plus coaching and support proves a winning combination From the grand opening of a grocery cooperative in Rogers Park this July to a trade school and art hub project in Lawndale still on the drawing board, equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) is inspiring some $350 million in new development projects across Chicago. Community-based organizations have the vision and local knowledge of what their neighborhoods need. Policy and planning... Continue reading »

During our recent Chicago Truck Data Portal project, cameras counted 5,159 trucks and buses, 129 pedestrians, and 53 bicyclists in 24 hours at West 41st Street and South Pulaski Road in Archer Heights. Truck count researcher and Urban Resilience Associate Paulina Vaca reflects on how supply chains, as currently configured, cause high truck concentrations. She also writes how supply chain operations harm communities and their residents and what we might do next to make supply chains... Continue reading »