CMAP meetings.  The CMAP Board met as scheduled this past Wednesday, although the Programming Coordinating Committee meeting was cancelled to allow more travel time in the snow.  Among other agenda items, the Board and attendees saw CMAP staff presentations on potential GO TO 2040recommendations for Land Use and Housing and Resource Conservation.  The next CMAP Board meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

GO TO 2040 partners.  We've updated our GO TO 2040 partnership program web page, which is full of ways for you to get involved in our planning process.  New highlights include bi-weekly brownbag planning sessions on different focus areas of GO TO 2040 and ways to organize your own events and community conversations.

ETIP grants available. Competitive grant applications for the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) are now being accepted. The program is being administered through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Business Development Bureau this year, and applications are due no later than March 12, 2010. ETIP grants allow Illinois companies to retrain or upgrade the skills of their employees.

Energy Savers.  The CMAP- and Center for Neighborhood Technology-backed Cook County Energy Savers program is a top U.S. retrofit performer.  The Preservation Compact issued a press release commending the program's success in retrofitting 3,500 apartments and other rental units, typically cutting energy consumption by 30 percent.  Large-scale energy efficiency strategies will be integral to achieving environmental sustainability and will be addressed in GO TO 2040.  CMAP is leading the region’s application for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. 

Planning workshop at CMAP.  We're hosting a workshop and focus group, "Developing Agent-Based Models for Urban Planning."  Attendees will learn how to use simulation program NetLogo and provide feedback, which will be used to design software specifically for urban planning.  The workshop will be conducted at our offices on March 5, 2010, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., space is limited to 16. RSVP to Dr. Moira Zellner (mzellner@uic.edu or 312-996-2149).  

Reminder:  Energy webinar.  CMAP is conducting a webinar, "Geothermal Energy in Your Community," on February 26, 2010, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.  Panelists will discuss the design, applicability, benefits, and funding sources for geothermal heating and cooling, which is the cleanest alternative energy source, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  

New partners in Full Circle:  City of Evanston.  Early last year, CMAP solicited proposals for funding from our Full Circle community planning and mapping project.  This week, we will highlight the outcomes of the City of Evanston's business inventory and public safety audit.  CMAP worked closely with the City's community development department, 8th Ward Alderman Ann Rainey, Brummel Park Neighbors, and a number of community volunteers to examine safety perceptions per CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles.  There were also discussions with business leaders to talk about their needs and interests.  A full description of the project is available online. 

New CMAP Bike-Ped blog.  CMAP has a new blog, Soles & Spokes, which covers all matters related to biking and walking.  This week features an introduction to the blog, information about the League of Illinois' Bicyclists bike planning workshops, an upcoming webinar on "cycle tracks," and a national benchmarking report on biking and walking.  In related news, the Metropolitan Planning Council posted an article about Stockholm's pedestrian and bicycle paths and how similar infrastructure can be incorporated into our region's comprehensive plan.

Burnham in Elgin.  Judson University's Benjamin P. Brown Library is hosting "Deep Roots - Green Future:  City Planning in Elgin" through March 31, 2010.  The travelling exhibit, which will move to the Centre of Elgin in mid-June, describes how Daniel Burnham influenced and transformed the concept of the American city.  You can read more about the exhibit at the Daily Herald. 

2010 Transport Chicago. The 2010 Transport Chicago Steering Committee is pleased to announce our Call for Papers for the 2010 Transport Chicago Conference.  Celebrating its 25^th year, this year’s conference will be held on Friday, June 4, at the American Dental Association, 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago.  Details regarding the abstract submission requirements and the review process are available on the website at www.transportchicago.org.  The deadline for submittals is March 15, 2010. You can also join the 2010 Transport Chicago Facebook group.  

CMAP in the news.  We updated our media archive this Tuesday, so be sure to check out all the press coverage we received relating to the Northeastern Illinois Water Supply/Demand Plan.  CMAP's Lee Deuben was also quoted in an article about the way towns in our region have collaborated on housing issues, from the Fall/Winter 2009 issue of Shelter Force published by the National Housing Institute.  

In the GO TO 2040 blog.  We had a frosty photo of some chilly berries in Crystal Lake for our Monday Flickr photo.  Also, CMAP's Erin Aleman and Diana Torres blogged about the upcoming GO TO 2040 partner brownbag series.  Lindsay Banks also recapped her fun times in Millennium Park for a Flickr meetup about nighttime photography. 

Recovery blog.  We blogged this week about funding opportunities for education and how to find stimulus-funded jobs.