New CNT Report Shows How Unused Residential Parking Makes Housing More Expensive CHICAGO, March 28, 2016 – It’s common to hear Chicago residents complain about the city’s dearth of parking, but new research from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has found that parking spaces at many of the city’s apartment buildings sit empty during their peak hours. The cost of that unused parking is often passed on to residents through higher rents. Released today, CNT’s report Stalled Out:... Continue reading »

In January, the Village of Midlothian, located in Chicago’s southern suburbs, took the groundbreaking step of adopting the nation’s first RainReady Plan. Midlothian residents have faced chronic flooding for decades, even in moderately sized rainstorms. Our RainReady program’s planning process – hailed as “transformative” in the Chicago Tribune – brought together residents, civic leaders, regional agencies and federal partners to identify community-scale solutions that will stem flooding and... Continue reading »

Gasoline is at the lowest price it’s been in five years, currently hovering around $2.00/gallon. It captures everyone’s attention. And it lowers household costs, but not as much as one might think.  The cost of gas represents only about 25% of the cost of owning a car. The other costs, like insurance and maintenance – not to mention the cost of the car itself – don’t fluctuate when gas prices do. Even a 50% decrease in pump prices only reduces the cost of owning a car by about 12.5%. We... Continue reading »

The Center for Neighborhood Technology Board of Directors announces its search for new leadership, as Kathy Tholin, its well-respected, long-time CEO, has decided to retire from CNT at the end of June. The Board is looking for an exceptional leader who can build on the organization’s long history of successful innovation to create sustainable cities. “We’re extraordinarily grateful for Kathy’s leadership through a period of dramatic growth and significant achievement,” said Board president... Continue reading »

Flooding is the most expensive "natural" disaster faced by homeowners across America. Flooding costs communities billions of dollars every year according to damage payouts by insurance companies. Much of the damage can be avoided by smarter, greener infrastructure in our built environments. Read stories of real flood victims below: “It's awful to wade through feces in your own home.  My home was essentially destroyed during Hurricane Sandy, just the biggest storm to come surging... Continue reading »

We have some incredible news! Thanks to your efforts, and the leadership of Representative Mike Quigley and Senator Dick Durbin, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been asked to conduct a national study of urban flooding. The Congressional directive is included in an appropriations bill signed by President Obama, and specifically requires FEMA “to evaluate the latest available research, laws, regulations, policies, best practices, procedures, and institutional knowledge... Continue reading »

Many of Chicago’s most desirable neighborhoods are anchored by CTA stations, which has pushed rents sky high. But we need to stop and think – should access to the CTA only be available to those who can afford high rents? Doesn’t it hurt our entire city when resource-strapped households are hit with the double whammy of unaffordable rents and costly auto ownership? We support the proposed Keeping the Promise ordinance, designed to reform the Chicago Housing Authority, because we believe that... Continue reading »

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... Continue reading »

For Immediate Release: Jan. 28, 2016 MIDLOTHIAN, IL. – As cities across the nation are looking for ways to adapt to climate change, the Village of Midlothian on Wednesday became the first municipality to adopt a RainReady℠ Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for reducing flood risk. “The village is committing to a long-term strategy that not only seeks to tackle flooding, but also revitalize the economy,” said Molly Oshun, RainReady Community Manager. “Flooding is nothing new to Midlothian... Continue reading »

When Village of Midlothian residents reached out to CNT’s RainReady℠ program, they sought help with Natalie Creek, a small tributary to the Cal Sag Channel with a terrible history of flooding the surrounding neighborhood. As we began our work with Floodlothian Midlothian and Village Trustees, we learned that flooding wasn’t the only challenge facing the community. Like many of its neighbors, Midlothian was hard hit by the 2009 recession and has been challenged to rebuild its economic base and... Continue reading »