Posted on March 18, 2011 11:07 AM
March 18, 2011
Table of Contents
First Off...
CMAP in the news. This Monday, CMAP Board member Mayor Rick Reinbold of Richton Park and I participated in a panel discussion on GO TO 2040 before the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce. Read more about the event in the Southtown Star. The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) also blogged about the first wave of projects identified for planning assistance throughout the region. To learn more about these projects, visit the Moving Forward section of our website. The Morton Grove Patch and TribLocal both wrote about the work CMAP will be doing with the Village on an industrial areas plan. The Algonquin Patch also wrote about land use planning around the IL 31 bypass that CMAP will assist with.
Other news and Announcements
Government workshop. The 2011 University of Illinois at Chicago e-Government Workshop on achieving IT efficiencies through collaboration will be held on May 12. Discounted registration is available for CMAP partners.
Planning law guide. CMAP has posted a handbook for local planners and planning commission members, whose decisions significantly influence quality of life in our region's communities. Because the regulatory landscape can complicate such choices, this new publication is intended to help local officials make efficient land-use decisions. Please note that it is intended only as a reference, not as specific legal advice, and practitioners should seek counsel from attorneys licensed to practice in Illinois.
Suburban Issues. We've posted a new video from my recent interview about GO TO 2040 with Jeff Cohn, host of Comcast's Suburban Issues. In case you missed them, Jeff's interviews with CMAP Board chairman Mayor Gerald Bennett and Board member President Rick Reinbold are also on YouTube.
Stern documentary. A new documentary by Geoffrey Baer on New York architect Robert A. M. Stern debuts on March 24 at 8:00 p.m. on WTTW Channel 11. Stern will be awarded this year's Driehaus Prize for Classical Architecture the following week.
Tollway Annual Report. The 2010 Illinois Tollway Annual Report is now available on-line.
Events
Blackberry Creek Watershed Open House
March 22, 2011
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Elburn Village Hall: 301 E. North Street, Elburn
Hosted by: CMAP, The Conservation Foundation
More Information
Stormwater Management Seminar
March 23, 2011
7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
311 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago
Hosted by: Contech Construction Products
More information
MetroPulse Webinar
March 25, 2011
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Hosted by: CMAP, The Chicago Community Trust
Registration
Planning Commissioner Training -- Lake County
April 2 and 16, 2011
8:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Lake County Department of Transportation: 600 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville
Hosted by: CMAP, Lake County Council of Mayors
Registration
Resource Fair and Business Expo
April 7, 2011
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
9000 W. College Pkwy, Palos Hills
Hosted by: Economic Development Council for the Southwest Suburbs at Moraine Valley Community College
More information
Planning Commissioner Training -- Southwest Cook
April 30 and May 14, 2011
8:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Palos Hills Community Center: 8545 W. 103rd Street, Palos Hills
Hosted by: CMAP, Southwest Council of Mayors
Registration
Planning Commissioner Training -- DuPage County
May 7 and 21, 2011
8:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Carol Stream Village Hall: 500 N. Gary Avenue, Carol Stream
Hosted by: CMAP, DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference
Registration
CMAP Blogs
Policy Updates. CMAP pledged to address issues of freshwater supply and conservation through its work on Water 2050 with the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread's alliance, Charting New Waters. We also analyzed how the growing number of Latino residents was the primary contributor to the region's population growth over the past ten years.
Green Signals. CMAP’s transportation operations blog featured a report released by the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Operations regarding the environmental impacts of congestion pricing. The report summarizes the state of the practice and provides a framework for evaluating congestion pricing and its environmental impact.
Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog highlighted a new report that estimates the employment benefits of bicycle and pedestrian projects. In Baltimore, MD, bike-ped projects create more job per million dollars spent than road repairs and resurfacing. The blog also reported the new federal law called the “Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act,” which seeks to ensure that new electric and hybrid vehicles add noises to alert the blind and other pedestrian of their approach. Finally, we alerted readers to the City of Chicago's release of bicycle counts taken at various locations around the City in the summer and fall of 2009.
Reminders
GO TO 2040 series at MPC. I wrote a guest blog post on our federal and state agendas in advance of the next GO TO 2040 roundtable hosted by MPC, "We have a Plan. What Do We Need?", which will be held on March 25 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the MPC Conference Center (140 S. Dearborn, Suite 1400 Chicago, Illinois 60603). Audio from February's forum is now available on-line.
Apply for FLIP. The 2011-2012 FLIP (Future Leaders in Planning) application is now available. Please share materials with local high school students who would be interested in learning more about planning and contribute to make a better future for our region. Keep up with FLIP by becoming a fan of its Facebook page.
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