CMAP meetings.  At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2009, the CMAP Board will meet.  Click here for Board meeting materials.  Prior to the Board, CMAP's Planning Coordinating Committee will meet at 8:00 a.m.  Click here for committee materials.  The MPO Policy Committee will meet at 10:00 a.m. next Thursday, March 12.  Click here for that meeting's materials.

Transportation Committee.  Today the CMAP Transportation Committee met, and the meeting included consideration of proposed TIP amendments related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  See a map and a list, with details of the funding, location and work types of these projects, which the committee voted to approve. 

ARRA coverage.  The Recovery Act is stimulating new public interest in planning processes.  For example, today's Transportation Committee meeting was covered by WBEZ and the Chi-Town Daily News.  The latter is an example of how "new media" are helping to keep the public informed.  The website "Progress Illinois" takes a close look at the list of TIP project amendments.  We always appreciate the opportunity to shed light on processes that can seem complicated to the general public.

Latino snapshot.  One of the most significant demographic changes expected in metropolitan Chicago by 2040 is the rapid growth of the region's Latino population. Continuing a long-term trend, Latinos are expected to make up most of the region's population growth between now and 2040. "Latinos in Our Region" or "Latinos en Nuestra Región" is a new CMAP Regional Snapshot shows the nature of the increasing Latino population throughout the region and identifies major planning considerations.  Click here for the English version and here for the Spanish version.

Burnham in the New Yorker.  Chicago and the Burnham Centennial are featured nicely in the New Yorker magazine.

Blog entry.  Today's blog post is "What Might GO TO 2040 Look Like in Your Community," by CMAP's Stephen Ostrander.

Community Conversations.  Please see http://www.goto2040.org/conversations.aspx for an updated list of Community Conversations that CMAP has scheduled for residents to discuss the GO TO 2040 campaign. Next week, we will host the following meetings:
 

• Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove, Elgin) on Tuesday, March 10 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. (Please contact Ylda Capriccioso for more information at 312-386-8670 or ycapriccioso@cmap.illinois.gov)
   
• Chicago Cultural Alliance (CMAP Office, 233 S. Wacker Dr. Suite 800) on Wednesday, March 11 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. (Please contact Ylda Capriccioso for more information at 312-386-8670 or ycapriccioso@cmap.illinois.govv)
   
• First Baptist Church of Waukegan (401 N. Genessee St., Waukegan) on Thursday, March 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (Please contact Hubert Morgan for more information at 312-386-8707 or hmorgan@cmap.illinois.gov)
   
• Grayslake Public Library District (100 Library Lane, Grayslake) on Thursday, March 12 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Please contact Diana Torres for more information at 312-386-8774 or dtorres@cmap.illinois.gov)

Call for Papers.  Transport Chicago seeks papers dealing with all aspects of transportation including planning, public transit, freight, air, bicycle and pedestrian transportation.  Paper abstracts are due by March 16, 2009.  For more information click here.

NARC and AMPO save-the-dates.  This year's National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) annual conference is June 3-9, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, CO.  The Association of Metropoilitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) annual conference will be held from October 27-30 at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Georgia.