Urban flooding can quickly destroy a home or business, and it’s happening across the country more frequently than ever before. It’s often caused by intense rainfall on impervious paved surfaces, though urban flooding can also happen when old, undersized or poorly maintained stormwater infrastructure fails. In either case, urban flooding often occurs in ways and at times you would least expect. That’s what happened one night last year to Pueschel Schneier’s Pensacola, Fla., home when she... Read the rest of this entry »

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) has helped chart a new framework for regional development focused on underutilized land in existing communities and anchored by walkable neighborhoods, transit, and freight. But our new report, Putting Places First: Targeting Infrastructure Improvements to Spur Investment in Priority Development Areas, reveals that the transportation projects we’re funding aren’t aligned with—and sometimes are completely opposed to—that goal. Cities in the... Read the rest of this entry »

Chicago’s landscape is quickly changing. As was reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Plan Commission has approved a 99-year lease for the development of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. With this immense project beginning to materialize, it is crucial that the city’s public infrastructure grows in tandem. The construction of the Lucas Museum in the Near South Side area represents an important contribution to one of Chicago’s most historically important neighborhoods. A beacon of... Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released the county budget for fiscal year 2016. While this may not sound terribly exciting, this particular budget holds the keys to building a strong and resilient Cook County. Although there has been much concern about proposed tax increases, this budget actually presents an opportunity to relieve the cost-of-living burden on Cook County families. As she has stated in the past, President Preckwinkle’s bold plan to prioritize the... Read the rest of this entry »

It’s no secret that Cook County’s finances are seriously challenged. As the region debates solutions, now is a time for our leaders to make a bold statement and seize a great opportunity to invest in the Chicago region’s future while addressing the problems of the past.  Right now, as you are reading this, Cook County Commissioners are struggling mightily with a proposal for a one percent sales tax increase that would primarily fund pensions, but it would also open the door for other... Read the rest of this entry »

New HUD Rules Emphasize Fair Housing and Better Access to Transit and Jobs   At a press conference in Chicago today, HUD Secretary Julian Castro announced new rules nationwide aimed to help cities build inclusive communities near transit and jobs, with good schools and a high quality of life. Those rules, titled Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), ask communities receiving HUD funding to demonstrate how they are using their investments to proactively create communities... Read the rest of this entry »

The past few weeks have proven to be a pivotal few for the Transit Future campaign and, indeed, for the future of transit in Cook County.  On the evening of June 18th, Congressman Mike Quigley joined us in Chicago to show his support for transit expansion, addressing a room full of elected officials, business leaders, and other Transit Future supporters.  Quigley, who serves on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriation committee, shared... Read the rest of this entry »

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for upholding disparate impact liability in the case of Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project. The Court ruled that the Fair Housing Act prohibits policies that adversely affect minority groups and reinforce segregation, even when such outcomes are an unintended consequence. At the center of the case was whether Low-Income Housing Tax Credits should be allocated to the... Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act to address increased flooding in urban communities and to find solutions for the urban communities impacted.  “Flooding is not just a coastal issue. In recent years, cities, like Chicago, have experienced unprecedented flooding events. While emergency programs provide relief for families and businesses in traditional flood areas, those... Read the rest of this entry »

The Obama Foundation has officially announced the Obama Presidential Library will be located on Chicago’s South Side. When the institution comes to Washington Park or Jackson Park, it will bring millions of visitors and potentially billions of dollars in investment to the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Chicago.  Regardless of which site is selected, the library and museum development will include public investment and private commitments to improve the standard of living for... Read the rest of this entry »