A recent Texas A&M study on traffic congestion misses the point. According to the report's findings, Chicago-area commuters lose 61 hours every year due to delays costing $1,445 annually for wasted fuel and time.  Yet we should be able to live in convenient places closer to our jobs and amenities, rather than always expect a road will take us there without delay.  Sixty-one hours a year boils down to 7.3 minutes of delay per trip. Two-thirds of area commuters get to work in... Read the rest of this entry »

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye, a publication geared toward young commuters, reported on a study from personal finance site WalletHub that called Chicago one of the worst cities for drivers. After noting the many obstacles Chicagoland drivers face, including congestion, city fees, and volatile weather, the article delivers the somewhat bleak conclusion that at least “some of us can avoid it by riding the CTA or a bike.” It’s clear from this article that car ownership comes... Read the rest of this entry »

The Cook County Board took an important first step in funding transit when it recently approved a one percent sales tax increase recently to shore up a growing pension deficit. This will bring to an end a longtime misallocation of motor fuel tax dollars in order to fund public transit and aging infrastructure.   The Center for Neighborhood Technology and our partners at the Active Transportation Alliance, leaders of the Transit Future campaign, met with Board President Toni... 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 »

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 »

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 those actions are not a stated goal. “At the center of the case was whether Low-Income Housing Tax Credits should be allocated to the inner city or in the suburbs,” CNT’s president and... Read the rest of this entry »

Who would have thought that the hottest topic in planning circles would ever be parking? For generations, we planned our cities for cars first and people second. Now the tide is turning. Cities across the country are focusing on walking and cycling, on transit-oriented development (TOD), and on figuring out the appropriate place and space for parking. It’s all tied to generational shift. Millennials simply don’t want to drive like their parents did. As consumers, they gravitate... Read the rest of this entry »

We’re proud to announce that Kyle Smith, CNT’s Economic Development Project Manager, is a winner of the Urban Land Institute Chicago’s Young Visionary award. Through his work at CNT, Kyle has helped shape regional policy priorities to encourage smart land use that benefits communities and strengthens local markets. One of his seminal achievements thus far has been getting key agency stakeholders, mayors, and developers to embrace Priority Development Areas (PDAs). He first recommended PDAs... Read the rest of this entry »

An app connecting grocers to budget-conscious consumers, encouraging them to work together to prevent food from going to waste, was the big winner in the 4th annual CNT Urban Sustainability Apps Competition held last weekend. The competition connects community members and coders to solve real neighborhood problems using mobile technology. This year, the products designed were more sophisticated than ever, thanks in large part to the increased mentorship and opportunities to begin working... Read the rest of this entry »