Chatham, a neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side, has a proud history of being one of Chicago’s most enduring black middle class neighborhoods. As with most of the country, however, the spectre of the recession is still looming, and Chatham’s residents have been working hard to bring in new economic development opportunities. One of the biggest obstacles to attracting new businesses and residents lies deep beneath Chatham’s streets. The aging sewers running through Chatham are often... Continue reading »

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... Continue reading »

The Chicago area is now home to a new peer-to-peer carsharing service. CNT is spearheading an innovative two-year study in Chicago, in partnership with the Shared Use Mobility Center, and carsharing operator Getaround. Often called “Airbnb for cars,” peer-to-peer carsharing allows car owners to rent their vehicles to others when not in use via an online reservation platform. Since the average car sits unused more than 90% of the time, according to a 2011 Transportation Research Board (... Continue reading »

Discuss their bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2015 CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met at the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) with Chicago residents whose homes or businesses have flooded as a result of urban flooding and discussed their bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act. Their legislation is designed to address increased flooding in urban communities and to find solutions for the urban communities impacted... Continue reading »

After years of lackluster growth and evidence that Houston might surpass Chicago in population, the Chicago City Council this week took a bold step in expanding its transit-oriented development (TOD) ordinance to provide infill potential for more housing near transit stops.   CNT has long been a proponent for such changes, since our research has shown that for a decade-long period (2000-2010), Chicago was the only U.S. city with a major legacy transit system that grew faster away from... Continue reading »

A Crain’s August 15 article, “This rail yard is bustling, and that’s very good for greater Chicago,” provides an excellent introduction to an important, and often overlooked, segment of the economy. But Chicago’s intermodal freight activity can be even more beneficial than the article suggests, provided that our region capitalizes on our freight transportation assets through a combination of progressive public policies and smart business investments. One of the biggest growth opportunities... Continue reading »

Growth around our transit system, commonly known as transit-oriented development (TOD), generates its biggest benefits when it includes all households and all neighborhoods. It gives residents choices for how to get around, particularly to jobs, and connects them to economic opportunity. It lowers the cost of living by making it easier for households of all incomes to live with fewer cars. It’s good for the climate with fewer cars on the road. And when it includes all types of households, it... Continue reading »

What if you could predict where flooding would happen next in your community or get a text alert when basements in your neighborhood are flooding? Often, when flooding occurs, there’s little warning beyond weather forecasts about the presence of flash flooding.  The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and the Army Corps of Engineers are working together on a new initiative called RainReadySM Alert, a predictive flood monitoring and alert system based on aggregated data from sump... Continue reading »

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... Continue reading »

The RainReady℠ program, an initiative of the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), has received a $30,000 EPA Environmental Justice Award. The grant will be used to support CNT’s work helping homeowners reduce sewer backups and flooding in Chatham, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. The work is being done in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  “We’re very grateful to the EPA. This comes at a critical time as cities like Chicago brace for more frequent and severe... Continue reading »