Randy Blankenhorn

CMAP Meetings. At its Wednesday meeting, the Board discussed a number of elements related to housing policy, including technical assistance with foreclosures (highlighted below) and a fact sheet (opens 150KB PDF) with housing principles. The Board was also updated on our agency’s ongoing efforts to provide technical assistance. Additionally, the Board along with the MPO Policy Committee approved the FY 2009 multi-year CMAQ Program (81KB PDF) and an update to the 2030 RTP, TIP amendments and conformity analysis.

The preliminary Regional Indicators (127KB PDF) were endorsed by both the Planning Coordinating Committee and the MPO Policy Committee. The development of these indicators to measure our progress toward the Regional Vision is a critical part of the GO TO 2040 plan. The CMAP Board will consider endorsement of the indicators at its meeting in November. All of the meeting materials are available on our website. 

Regional response to foreclosures. CMAP and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus are partnering with the Metropolitan Planning Council and Chicago Metropolis 2020 to explore coordinated solutions to foreclosure problems in northeastern Illinois. A recent study from the Woodstock Institute estimates that, from the start of 2007 to mid-2008, nearly 33,000 housing units in our region entered Real Estate Owned (REO) status, where the property is returned to the lender because it doesn't sell at auction. This magnitude of vacant buildings poses tremendous challenges to stabilizing our communities and preventing further decline. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently allocated $3.92 billion in grants to help states and communities deal with foreclosures. (Visit http://www.hud.gov/nsp/ to read about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, also described in a HUD press release.) Our state's portion of the allocation is $170 million. On Friday, October 17, 2008, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., local recipients of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program Funds will meet at CMAP to discuss the program's requirements and potential strategies for best utilizing these resources. The funds have been allocated specifically to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become abandoned and/or sources of blight. Given the limited timeframe for developing a plan and expending the funds, CMAP and its partners are seeking to facilitate information sharing among the grantees, which will be key to leveraging additional assistance and maximizing impact. For more information, contact CMAP's Lee Deuben (ldeuben@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8623).

Climate change alarm. Also at the Board meeting, a public comment was made by Paul Heltne, director of Humans and Nature Chicago. He made an important statement about climate change, particularly regarding the Global Carbon Project's alarming new report that carbon emissions increased 2.9 percent in 2007, compared to 2006. As the Washington Post reported, "The rise in global carbon dioxide emissions last year outpaced international researchers' most dire projections . . . as human-generated greenhouse gases continued to build up in the atmosphere despite international agreements and national policies aimed at curbing climate change." Mr. Heltne emphasized that this situation adds dramatically to the imperative for better planning. Reducing emissions must be prominent among our regional goals.

Civic Blogger. This week, CMAP and the GO TO 2040 website got a nice shout-out from blogger Robert Voigt.

Water supply newsletter.  Click here for the Regional Water Supply Planning Group's October newsletter.

GO TO 2040 Community Conversations. See /staff-directory/biosketch-rsbconversations.aspx for an updated list of Community Conversations that CMAP has scheduled for residents to discuss the GO TO 2040 campaign. Next week, we have two meetings scheduled at the Antioch Public Library (757 North Main Street/Route 83) on Thursday, October 16, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. (Please contact Diana Torres for more information at 312-386-8774 or dtorres@cmap.illinois.gov).

Burnham announcement. In a press release, the Burnham Plan Centennial Committee has revealed some exciting details about the region's celebration of the 1909 Plan of Chicago. “The original Plan set the first gold standard for inspired regional planning,” said George A. Ranney, cochairman of the Centennial Committee. “It remains recognized around the world.” The release includes a nice mention of CMAP and the GO TO 2040 planning campaign. Centennial organizers have issued an excellent booklet (2.3MB PDF) describing the plan and its legacy. 

 Proceedings of CMAP Travel Demand Model Symposium. The proceedings are now available from a one-day symposium CMAP hosted on August 27, 2008, with leading U.S. authorities in the development of "activity-based travel models" for regional planning. Panelists and respondents included university researchers, consultants and planning practitioners who will address a variety of questions regarding the potential for advanced travel modeling practice in Chicago. Following the recent completion of our Travel Tracker Survey, this symposium was an important aspect of CMAP's ongoing model development work program. If you have questions regarding CMAP's model development work program, please contact Kermit Wies (kwies@cmap.illinois.gov). 

Chicago fashion. This week saw the conclusion of Fashion Focus Chicago, which held its fourth annual series of events. Read about it in Shana Alford's blog entry, where she points out how fashion reflects our region's extraordinary diversity.