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| Randy Blankenhorn |
CMAP meetings. The CMAP Board will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/board/minutes.aspx for the agenda and materials. Prior to the Board meeting, both the Planning and Programming Coordinating Committees will meet at 8:00 a.m. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/planning/minutes.aspx for the Planning materials. At 11:00 a.m. or immediately after the Board meeting, the Executive Committee will meet. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/executive/minutes.aspx for the Executive Committee agenda. All three meetings are in the CMAP offices, Suite 800 of Sears Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive in Chicago.
The 53rd St. Vision. Last Saturday, over 125 residents of the Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods attended the second "53rd St. Vision Workshop," co-sponsored by CMAP. A wide variety of guest experts from the development, planning, urban design, and landmark preservation fields were enlisted to assist residents and community leaders as they work toward developing a community vision for the 53rd Street corridor. The workshop featured a series of walking tours of the corridor, with each tour focusing on one of four main themes coming out of the first workshop (held in December). At the next workshop this fall, CMAP and the Metropolitan Planning Council will roll out the Corridor Development Initiative, a new hands-on tool to assist communities in creating guidelines for development. Stay tuned as we launch the newest addition to our Community & Technical Assistance division’s “Suite of Tools” to assist communities in the region.
Foreclosures forum recap. On Tuesday, May 6, CMAP, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago hosted a conference to discuss how foreclosures affect communities, and to learn aboutstrategies that have been implemented at the local and regional level to lessen the negative impacts of vacant buildings. "Taking Action: Local Government Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of Foreclosures on Communities" brought together more than 100 representatives from municipalities, county governments, and the housing and development field to share their experiences, successes, and challenges when facing the foreclosure crisis. Foreclosures affect more than just those who do lose their homes. The ramifications can be felt in the surrounding neighborhood, the community as a whole, and even the larger metropolitan region. This conference was a good start to the regional discussion about how we can work together to get through this difficult period.
Burnham Plan on display. To help get visitors and CMAP staff in the centennial spirit, we've acquired a nice case to preserve and display our first-edition copy of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago. We will periodically turn the page in this historic document, so you never know which aspect of the plan will be there to view. Thanks to Dolores and Barb for procuring the display case.
GO TO 2040 blogs and buttons. This week we've launched a new point/counterpoint blog at http://www.goto2040.org/blogs/blog.aspx to prompt discussion of potentially contentious planning issues. Each edition of "Who Can Talk Louder" will feature two opposing viewpoints -- neither of which, I'd like to add, represents CMAP's views or policies. We present this forum in the belief that open discussion of diverse views can contribute to better planning and a brighter future. Also, we now have a box full of new GO TO 2040 buttons. If you don't have one yet, please see Gordon and do wear it, especially when attending meetings. As approprirate, he can make extras available for partners or to hand out at meetings.
Program reminder: Future Leaders in Planning. CMAP is looking for high school freshmen and sophomores who want to make the region a better place to live, go to school, work and play. Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) is our new leadership development program for students from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry or Will counties. Selected participants will collaborate with and learn from elected officials and planners who are developing the new GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan. The program is free, and applications are due June 2. FLIP runs from September 2008 to March 2009. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/flip.aspx or call 312-454-0400.
Water briefing coverage. Several newspaper stories ran this week as a result of our media briefing last Friday in Libertyville with Sen. Susan Garrett. Read about the Regional Water Supply Planning initiaitive in Pioneer Press, Sun Newspapers, and Daily Herald.
Fourth graders GO TO 2040. Carpenter Elementary School in Park Ridge is one of several schools selected to pilot test the "Bold Ideas" challenge, as part of our GO TO 2040 campaign. Teacher Matthew Toren and art teacher Fred Klonsky collaborated to help the 4th graders explore their community and understand its connection to the region. Sudents were challenged to imagine their community in the year 2040. See http://www.goto2040.org/carpenter_4-17-08.aspx for video clips and a "VoiceThread" multimedia version of the Carpenter students' mural depicting life in 2040. Click around their combined contributions to the mural, and hear individual students describe their personal contributions. Leave your own audio comments by signing in (free registration required) and clicking "record." Speak freely to tell the students what you think.
Housing + Transportation Affordability Index. The Washington Post recently featured the Center for Neighborhood Technology's new interactive mapping tool, the Housing+Transportation Affordability Index, which measures the true cost of a household's location by taking into account transportation costs. Please take a moment to look at this eye-opening site. One of CMAP's priorities is to help the region achieve a better jobs/housing balance so people can live nearer to where they work. Transportation expenses -- including fuel and congestion -- are important factors in the housing equation.
Chicago's Green Dividend. CEOs for Cities has posted an interesting video that asks: How much is two miles worth? (Thanks to Lee for this link.)
Event reminders: Water governance and Lake Michigan Academy. Don't forget the "Beyond Showerheads and Sprinklers: Water Governance Solutions for Illinois" conference will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008. It's geared to state and local officials, water authorities, conservation organizations, water companies and utilities, municipal water officials, agricultural and industrial water users, planners, and wastewater and stormwater management professionals. Click here to register online. And there's also still time to register for a conference of the Lake Michigan Watershed Academy from May 20 to 22. Hosted by CMAP, this three-day interactive event will cover water quality issues and regional policy development relevant to Lake Michigan and its basin, including watersheds in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.
Earth Mother's Day. You can celebrate Mother's Day at the Friends of the Fox River's ninth annual Monitor With Your Mother on Sunday May 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Fox River Shores Forest Preserve in Carpentersville. This year's focus is on Energy & Water Quality. The Field Museum's Veggie Vehicle will be there as will the District 300 Cool Bus to demonstrate Bio fuels. Popular family entertainer Kathleen Gibson will perform at 12:30 p.m. Along with local music will be words from local governmental representatives and a few surprise guests. For more, see http://www.friendsofthefoxriver.org or contact Gary Swick (847-426-1322). |
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| Randy Blankenhorn |
Springfield legislative openhouse. Although the crowds were not overwhelming early Wednesday morning at our briefing in Springfield, we had a successful event to update our legislators and their staff on a number of our initiatives including GO TO 2040, the Regional Water Supply Planning Study and the need for a capital bill. We hope that these forums will be the start of a tradition that will continue for years to come.
USDOT award to City of Chicago. As you no doubt heard in the news, on Tuesday the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $153.1 million grant to the City of Chicago, aimed at reducing congestion downtown. The grant will facilitate Bus Rapid Transit and a parking pricing strategy aimed at encouraging motorists to come to the Central Business District outside peak hours. I believe that innovative transportation solutions such as these are an importan part of the regional discussion about how to reduce congestion. We look forward to working with our partners -- including the City of Chicago, the 283 municipalities, seven counties, the transit agencies, IDOT, and the Illinois Tollway -- to improve the overall transportation system through our GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional planning process.
Accessibility workshops set for June 9-10. Accessible communities are critical to assure full mobility for our citizens. CMAP is sponsoring "Designing Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility," a 1 1/2 day workshop. It gives an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it applies to the public right-of-way. Despite recent progress, current practices in much of northeastern Illinois do not fully comply with requirements to provide accessible pedestrian facilities. The class will cover public right-of-way accessibility practice so that design, construction, and operations in our communities, as well as local ADA Transition Plans, can be appropriately updated. The workshop is for Illinois engineers, planners, and other design professionals who plan, design, and/or build pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. Registration requires a nominal fee, and space is limited. Click herefor more information and to register.
Growing Forward. This year's Chicago Matters media series, "Growing Forward," continues its focus on sustainability. Recently, it has emphasized the region's climate exchange programs, air quality, wind power, noise, airports and air traffic. Click here for a page of information resources, including a link to The Smog Blog, a daily diary of air quality in the U.S. Initiated and funded by The Chicago Community Trust, Chicago Matters is an annual exploration -- via television, radio, print and community dialogue -- of an issue of broad concern to the Chicago region.
Lake Countybriefing. In conjunction with State Senator Susan Garrett, we convened a briefing earlier today in Libertyville with Lake County elected officials on the progress of the Regional Water Supply Planning Study.
"Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety" workshop. Register now for the two-day course "Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety," to be held in Schaumburg, Illinois on June 3 and 4. This IDOT-sponsored workshop will address pedestrian safety issues through design and engineering solutions. Instructors will cover the significance of land-use, sidewalk and walkway design, signs, signals and crosswalks. Participants will also take part in a field exercise of a nearby intersection. There is no fee for attending this course, but space is limited. The course includes 15 Professional Development Hour (PDH) units. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/bikeped/pedsafety.aspxto register.
Transport Chicago. This year's Transport Chicagoconference will be held Friday, June 6, 2008, at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The keynote speaker will be Jonathan Levine, professor and chair of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. His research focuses on the relationships between transportation systems and land use in metropolitan regions, factors that drive the development of such systems, and the efficiency of public transit. Reduced-fee registration ends on May 18, and credit card registration via the Internet ends on June 4. (Only cash and checks will be accepted at the conference.) For more information, contact Andrew Parker (847-228-2366 or andrew.parker@pacebus.com).
Climate change symposium. On the evening of Wednesday, May 14, the Field Museum will host "A Global Warming: Understanding Climate Change." A panel of experts in geophysics, ecology, and policy will include Timothy E. Wirth of the United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund, Dr. Ray Pierrehumbert of the University of Chicago, and Dr. Doug Stotz of the Field Museum. The moderator will be WGN radio host John Williams. This symposium is part of a five-year series at the museum sponsored by the Gary C. Comer Family. Admission is free, but pre-registration is recommended (call 312-665-7400). The panel begins at 7:00 p.m. in the museum's James Simpson Theatre, following light refreshments in the west lobby at 5:30 p.m.
Preservation Compact. I have been invited to serve on the advisory committee of the Preservation Compact, which is seeking to preserve 75,000 rental housing units by 2020. This effort is geared to directing incentives toward current investor-owned properties to ensure an adequate supply of rental units for the region as the housing market continues to fluctuate.
Third Quarter Progress Report. Please see http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/about/FY08_workplan.aspxfor this report on CMAP staff progress made in the third quarter of FY08.
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| Randy Blankenhorn |
Final EIS scope is released. This afternoon, the Surface Transportation Board released the final scope of its planned Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding CN's proposedacquisition of the EJ&E rail line. See an STB news release about the EIS scope, which we are reading carefully. Look for more about this next week.
Future Leaders in Planning. CMAP is beginning FLIP -- Future Leaders in Planning -- as a leadership development program for current high school freshmen and sophomores to participate in creating a better future for our region. The 48 selected participants from the seven counties will not only learn about planning issues in the northeastern region, but also meet and interact with selected regional leaders who make key decisions that affect our communities. The program begins in September 2008 and concludes in March 2009. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/flip.aspx for details, including the application form. Please encourage students interested in making a real impact in their communities andregion to submit applications before June 2.
Foreclosures conference. For elected officials, trustees, municipal or county staff, and treasurers, on Tuesday, May 6, CMAP is partnering with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to co-sponsor "Taking Action: Local Government Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of Foreclosures on Communities." Visit http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/foreclosure_summary.aspx for details, including the agenda and registration. Along with much of the nation, metropolitan Chicago has seen a dramatic increase in the number of foreclosures. According to the latest figures from the Woodstock Institute, foreclosure filings in the region increased by nearly 80 percent between 2005 and 2007. This important meeting will give local government leaders a forum to discuss tools and strategies necessary for mitigating the impact of foreclosures on our communities. The conference will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 230 South LaSalle Street. This event is free, but advance registration is required by May 1.
Illinois Works meeting. This past Wednesday's event in Naperville gave community and business leaders a chance to discuss the proposed capital program. Click here to see my testimony (opens 25KB PDF), which emphasizes the need for overdue investments in the state's infrastructure, including transportation, water treatment, schools, housing, and open space. See http://www.tficillinois.org/April23TransportationSummit.htmlfor a summary of the event from the Transportation for Illinois Coalition.
Vaya al año 2040. We have prepared a Spanish version of the GO TO 2040 survey and need your help getting it distributed. Please let partner organizations know about it, and we'll be happy to make copies available. To request some, contact Diana Torres (dtorres@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8774).
UWP comment period. Today the CMAP Transportation Committee approved the Unified Work Program (UWP) for public comment. It's available on-line (opens 345KB PDF) and is open for public comment until May 19. The UWP lists the planning projects that CMAP and other agencies undertake each year to enhance transportation in northeastern Illinois and to fulfill federal planning regulations. The document includes each project’s description, products, costs and source of funding. Please direct comments to Matt Maloney (mmaloney@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8615).
Great Lakes plans. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, and their partners have issued the 2008 biennial plans on each of the five Great Lakes. These comprehensive, environmental plans provide lake-by-lake details on the steps needed to ensure protection, restoration and environmental maintenance of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. See http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lamp/index.html for the Lakewide Management Plans (LaMP), which are called for by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes.
Leave No Child Inside. Chicago Parent magazine recently featured Chicago Wilderness and its "Leave No Child Inside" program to get kids outside where they can enjoy nature and engage in healthy activities.
Water conferences. Just a reminder of two important upcoming events. The "Beyond Showerheads and Sprinklers: Water Governance Solutions for Illinois" conference will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008. It's sponsored by the Metropolitan Planning Council, Openlands and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, with support from the Joyce Foundation and Lumpkin Family Foundation. Click here to register online. And CMAP will host a conference of the Lake Michigan Watershed Academy from May 20 to 22. This three-day interactive event will cover water quality issues and regional policy development relevant to Lake Michigan and its basin, including watersheds in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.
Green Festival. This year's Green Festival will be held at Navy Pier on Friday and Saturday, May 17 and 18. Two national nonprofit organizations, Global Exchange and Co-op America, organize Green Festivals to bring together local and national socially responsible businesses, and environmental, social justice and community organizations. Last year's Green Festival in Chicago had more than 40,000 attendees. CMAP is co-sponsoring a booth with the Metropolitan Planning Council. For festival details, contact Phillippa Cannon (cannon.phillippa@epa.gov or 312-353-6218).
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| Thank you for helping "green manufacturing" stay in the USA
Posted by: Manufacturing (link@kineticdc.com) on 05/02/2008 |
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| Randy Blankenhorn |
Promoting "Illinois Works." The RTA board meeting yesterday focused on the need to pass a capital program for the state of Illinois. (See related news coverage.) I was among several speakers who emphasized the extreme importance of passing the Illinois Works initiative to fund necessary infrastructure improvements. (Also yesterday, the RTA welcomed several new members to expand the board from 13 to 16 members, as called for in the transit reform legislation enacted in January. I believe this is a positive step that acknowledges how much the entire region has at stake in public transportation.) Next week, I'll have the opportunity to testify at the Illinois Works "listening session" in Naperville. The event, which will feature Illinois Works co-chairs Dennis Hastert and Glenn Poshard, will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23 (not April 16, as last week's mail mistakenly stated), at the Holiday Inn Select Naperville, 1801 N. Naper Blvd. For more information and to RSVP, please call Erin Lytle of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce at 630-355-4141.
"Bold Ideas" contest winners. At the main GO TO 2040 web page, we've posted many new videos of the winning entries in our "Bold Ideas" contest at Whitney Young High School. (Just play the introductory video, and the rest should play in sequence.) WYHS is one of three schools selected for pilot contests to get kids thinking -- and acting -- creatively about the future. The winning entries are very thought-provoking, as these students are concerned about a wide range of issues that will determine the quality of life in our region as they move through adulthood. I continue to be impressed by the imagination and energy they display in expressing those views, whether via words, illustrations, videos, original music, or performance. Be watching for more web multimedia soon from our other pilot school partners at Pulaski Middle School and Carpenter Elementary School.
Water supply update. CMAP hosted a special meeting of the Regional Water Supply Planning Group (RWSPG) this week to discuss the Draft Regional Water-Demand Scenarios for Northeastern Illinois: 2005-2050 report. The report author, Dr. Benedykt Dziegielewski of Southern Illinois University was on hand to give a presentation of how the report has evolved in response to feedback thus far. The public was provided the opportunity to make additional comments and ask questions about the details in the report. The regular monthly RWSPG meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 in Belvidere. See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/watersupply/default.aspx for more information.
Urban Earth Day event. On Tuesday, April 22, Doug Farr, founding principal of Farr Associates and winner of a 2008 Chicago Magazine Green Award, will speak about "The Future of Green Chicago" as part of Urban Earth Day activities at Kennedy-King College. Called "one of the most prominent of the city's growing cadre of ecologically sensitive architects" by the New York Times, Farr is known for helping to create sustainable human environments by applying the principles of LEED at the neighborhood level. Orrin Williams, long-time green activist and recent LISC Community Hero Awards winner, will speak to local applications and issues of sustainability, with focus on the Englewood community. The event begins at 6:00 p.m., with refreshments available starting at 5:30 p.m. Location is the King-Kennedy College U Theatre Building, 63rd & Halsted Ave., Chicago. RSVP to Sharon Samuels at 773-678-9541.
Get people to GO TO. Thanks to our friends and partners who have been promoting the GO TO 2040 website and blog. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to build awareness, so don’t forget to email links to partner agencies, family, and friends in the region. Yesterday, we spotted a blogger in Elgin who is promoting our GO TO 2040 efforts. We need lots of public interaction through comments (including our series of strategy reports), and surveys for this to be successful. Please include a web link to www.goto2040.org whenever and wherever you can. |
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| Thanks for the link! I think what you're doing is great and will keep on promoting it!
Posted by: jessica (http://lifeinelgin.com) on 04/23/2008 |
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| Randy Blankenhorn |
Illinois Works public events. The bi-partisan coalition called Illinois Works is hosting frequent "listening sessions" across the state to build support for the proposed capital program. Locally, the next two are April 23in Naperville and April 28 in Geneva.The meetings to date have been attended by one or both of the coalition co-chairs, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and SIU president Glenn Poshard. Just as the CMAP Board has said consistently, the Illinois Works coalition believes our current infrastructure requires crucial investment. Their goal is passage of a minimum $25 billion Illinois Works capital investment program in the 95th General Assembly. The listening sessions will help to document the extensive need for capital investment in Illinois and to build support throughout the state. See http://tinyurl.com/5jcfsh (opens 167KB PDF) for a related press release from Illinois Works.
Lincoln Institute on Full Circle. "Transforming Community Development With Land Information Systems" is a new glossy publication from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Authored by Sarah Treuhaft and G. Thomas Kingsley, it centers on five detailed case studies from Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, to show how community revitalization can be facilitated with the latest parcel-based GIS tools. The Chicago example is CMAP's own Full Circle project, which develops wireless web tools to help communities identify how land parcels are being used, and how they could be used more effectively through a coordinated local planning strategy. See http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/PubDetail.aspx?pubid=1356 for a PDF (free registration required) or to purchase printed copies of the 48-page report. We'll also make some reprints of just the Full Circle section available for visitors to CMAP.
Conference on water governance. A conference titled "Beyond Showerheads and Sprinklers: Water Governance Solutions for Illinois" will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008. Attendees are invited to help set the direction for water governance in Illinois, in the wake of a 2006 gubernatorial order that called for the creation of a statewide framework for regional water supply planning (of which CMAP's Regional Water Supply Planning Group is the northeastern Illinois component). Keynote speaker is Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and author of the biennial report "The World's Water."
The conference is geared to state and local officials, water authorities, conservation organizations, water companies and utilities, municipal water officials, agricultural and industrial water users, planners, and wastewater and stormwater management professionals. Sponsors include the Metropolitan Planning Council, Openlands and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, with support from the Joyce Foundation and Lumpkin Family Foundation. It runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Blvd. An early registration fee of $45 (before April 15) covers food and beverage throughout the conference. After April 15, registration costs $50, andthe deadline to register is May 12. Register online at http://www.metroplanning.org/calendar.asp?objectID=4292. Contact Josh Ellis of MPC (312-863-6045 or jellis@metroplanning.org) or Lenore Beyer-Clow of Openlands (312-863-6264 or lbeyer-clow@openlands.org).
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