Table of Contents

• First Off . . .
• Events
• News and Other Announcements
• CMAP Blogs
• Reminders

First Off...

GO TO 2040 video.  If you didn't see this week's airing of footage from the October 13 launch of the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan, here is a webcast.  Cable subscribers in the City of Chicago can still see it on Channel 19 on December 2 at 12:00 p.m.  You should also take a look the CMAP YouTube channel for related videos, including portraits of several residents whose stories bring the plan's themes to life.

Events

Connectivity Challenge. December 8-10, CEOs for Cities and the Chicago Architecture Foundation will host the Connectivity Challenge, a convening of local leaders and national experts who will re-imagine Chicago as a city where citizens can meet their daily needs without owning a car. For information, contact Julia Klaiber (jklaiber@ceosforcities.orgor 202-525-5627).

Water reuse roundtable. Register for the upcoming roundtable hosted by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and Openlands titled "Right as Rain: Advancing Safe, Sustainable Water Reuse." The event will take place on December 16, 2010 from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. at the MPC offices at 140 S. Dearborn Ave, Suite 1400, Chicago. Lunch will be provided and the cost is $15 for current MPC donors and Openlands members, $30 for all others.

News and Other Announcements

MetroPulse story.  The Columbia Chronicle has a feature about the MetroPulse data resource that CMAP and The Chicago Community Trust launched last week.   

Urban farms and food supply. WBEZ aired two pieces this week concerning "food deserts," where 9 percent of the region's population currently lives, as GO TO 2040 points out. The first describes problems with the Illinois LINK card system, which many low-income families use in areas where grocery stores are scarce. These residents have little choice but to shop at local convenience stores or even liquor stores that carry only snack foods. The other piece (which includes a slideshow) explores an urban garden project in Altgeld Gardens on Chicago's south side. 

Growing up. Learn about Chicago's first vertical farming company on the new Plant Chicago blog. The project includes not only issues concerning a new style of large-scale farming, but also shows new uses for vacant land. Read more about brownfields and reinvestment in communities in GO TO 2040's Livable Communities section.

CMAP Blogs

Soles and Spokes. This week, CMAP's bike-ped planning blog highlighted a new study from New Zealand on best practices for the lighting of pedestrian areas, providing an informed and objective basis for reviewing pedestrian lighting designs and creating recommendations. We also announced an upcoming lecture and reception on December 8 by the Danish architect and urban planner, Jan Gehl, on his work creating high quality, functional, people-friendly places in cycling- and pedestrian-friendly cities around the globe.

Green Signals.  This week, Green Signals, CMAP's transportation operations blog, informed readers about the Use of Archive Data webcast, which will explore the way outsourced archived probe data is currently being used for performance measurement and planning by transportation professionals. Another webinar, Intellidrive Applications for the Environment, was also featured in the blog. This webinar will discuss the Applications for the Environment: Real-Time Information Synthesis (AERIS) program. The white paper Smart Mobility for a 21^st Century Americawas also featured in the blog. The paper provided examples of current and emerging ITS technologies that have the capability to increase capacity, inform commuters, and expand and improve transportation options. The blog also highlighted how the city of Aurora coordinates signals to keep cars movingwith a new state-of-the-art traffic control system.

Reminders

Biking the Boulevards.  Don't forget WTTW's new Biking the Boulevards TV tour with host Geoffrey Baer on Monday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m. on Channel 11. The show will be rebroadcast on December 7 and December 12.

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