This month Chicago will have visitors from a cohort of Australian public works professionals stopping by the city before heading onto the American Public Works Association 2017 Congress, the annual conference for members of the public works industry. The group of Australian professionals will participate in a series of tours throughout the city visiting government agencies, public works and non-profits to garner an understanding of Public Works in the Chicago region. Included in their tour... Read the rest of this entry »

There are over 950,000 more manufacturing jobs in the U.S. today than in 2010. This resurgence presents a major opportunity for communities. As a segment of manufacturers turns away from the inefficiencies of sprawling suburban industrial parks and re-onshores production from overseas locations there is growing demand for urban locations. But cities that want to take advantage of manufacturing’s return need to be fully prepared. An EcoDistrict approach to industrial revitalization can help keep... Read the rest of this entry »

We’re delighted to announce that on June 13, 2017, CNT received the Green Ribbon Award presented by the Friends of the Chicago River for the RainReady Calumet Corridor Plan. The Friends of the Chicago River host the annual Chicago River Blue Awards to recognize the leading contributions in development, design, and implementation of programs that best exemplify efforts towards building healthier and more sustainable communities through clean water programs. CNT RainReady director Dawn... Read the rest of this entry »

When I took over as CEO this fall, I reflected on the journey some of my longest-serving colleagues have been on for many years: associating responsible economic development in cities with needs for social justice, climate protection, and resilience. While support in the United States for this way of thinking has clearly ebbed and flowed in modern history, it is clear that CNT has been at the forefront of understanding infrastructure development in ways that have been quite unpopular, and often... Read the rest of this entry »

After 11 years as CNT’s CEO, I’m stepping down this week. It’s been a remarkable journey. In 1978, I was a recent college graduate looking for a way to reinvent cities. I was fortunate to  discover Scott Bernstein, only a few years older, who was just founding a new organization aimed at promoting neighborhood innovation and empowerment. I came on board. Remarkably, CNT’s core DNA was established at that early date and has continued to drive the organization for 38 years. To pursue... Read the rest of this entry »

Ten years ago, there was widespread concern about the Digital Divide; people in poor neighborhoods had few PCs and little Internet access and thus couldn’t break into the mainstream economy. Today, smartphones have solved a lot of these problems: residents of low-income communities are more likely than more affluent communities to own and use smart phones as a communications vehicle where there is a lack of broadband access. But that’s just the start of what’s possible: moving from... Read the rest of this entry »

By Richard Beckwith, Intel What is a Smart City? A city that’s smart sounds like a very good thing, much better than the alternative.  But despite the appeal, lots of people just aren’t quite clear what a Smart City actually is.  Simply put, Smart Cities enhance the efficiencies of urban systems with networked technology. Smart meters monitor electricity usage as part of a “smart grid,” which in turn enables better integration of renewable energy sources like solar. Smart... Read the rest of this entry »