CMAP meetings. The CMAP Board will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12. Click here for the agenda and materials. Prior to the Board meeting, both the Planning and Programming Coordinating Committees will meet at 8:00 a.m. Click here for the Planning materials. At 11:00 a.m. or immediately after the Board meeting, the Executive Committee will meet. Click for the Executive Committee agenda. All three meetings are in the CMAP offices, Suite 800 of Sears Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive in Chicago.

The 53rd St. Vision. Last Saturday, over 125 residents of the Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods attended the second "53rd St. Vision Workshop," co-sponsored by CMAP. A wide variety of guest experts from the development, planning, urban design, and landmark preservation fields were enlisted to assist residents and community leaders as they work toward developing a community vision for the 53rd Street corridor. The workshop featured a series of walking tours of the corridor, with each tour focusing on one of four main themes coming out of the first workshop (held in December). At the next workshop this fall, CMAP and the Metropolitan Planning Council will roll out the Corridor Development Initiative, a new hands-on tool to assist communities in creating guidelines for development. Stay tuned as we launch the newest addition to our Community & Technical Assistance division’s “Suite of Tools” to assist communities in the region.

Foreclosures forum recap. On Tuesday, May 6, CMAP, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago hosted a conference to discuss how foreclosures affect communities, and to learn aboutstrategies that have been implemented at the local and regional level to lessen the negative impacts of vacant buildings. "Taking Action: Local Government Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of Foreclosures on Communities" brought together more than 100 representatives from municipalities, county governments, and the housing and development field to share their experiences, successes, and challenges when facing the foreclosure crisis. Foreclosures affect more than just those who do lose their homes. The ramifications can be felt in the surrounding neighborhood, the community as a whole, and even the larger metropolitan region. This conference was a good start to the regional discussion about how we can work together to get through this difficult period.

Burnham Plan on display. To help get visitors and CMAP staff in the centennial spirit, we've acquired a nice case to preserve and display our first-edition copy of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago. We will periodically turn the page in this historic document, so you never know which aspect of the plan will be there to view. Thanks to Dolores and Barb for procuring the display case.

GO TO 2040 blogs and buttons. This week we've launched a new point/counterpoint blog at http://www.goto2040.org/blogs/blog.aspx to prompt discussion of potentially contentious planning issues. Each edition of "Who Can Talk Louder" will feature two opposing viewpoints -- neither of which, I'd like to add, represents CMAP's views or policies. We present this forum in the belief that open discussion of diverse views can contribute to better planning and a brighter future. Also, we now have a box full of new GO TO 2040 buttons. If you don't have one yet, please see Gordon and do wear it, especially when attending meetings. As approprirate, he can make extras available for partners or to hand out at meetings.

Program reminder: Future Leaders in Planning. CMAP is looking for high school freshmen and sophomores who want to make the region a better place to live, go to school, work and play. Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) is our new leadership development program for students from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry or Will counties. Selected participants will collaborate with and learn from elected officials and planners who are developing the new GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan. The program is free, and applications are due June 2. FLIP runs from September 2008 to March 2009. See /flip-future-leaders-in-planning or call 312-454-0400.

Water briefing coverage. Several newspaper stories ran this week as a result of our media briefing last Friday in Libertyville with Sen. Susan Garrett. Read about the Regional Water Supply Planning initiaitive in Pioneer Press, Sun Newspapers, and Daily Herald.

Fourth graders GO TO 2040. Carpenter Elementary School in Park Ridge is one of several schools selected to pilot test the "Bold Ideas" challenge, as part of our GO TO 2040 campaign. Teacher Matthew Toren and art teacher Fred Klonsky collaborated to help the 4th graders explore their community and understand its connection to the region. Sudents were challenged to imagine their community in the year 2040. See http://www.goto2040.org/carpenter_4-17-08.aspx for video clips and a "VoiceThread" multimedia version of the Carpenter students' mural depicting life in 2040. Click around their combined contributions to the mural, and hear individual students describe their personal contributions. Leave your own audio comments by signing in (free registration required) and clicking "record." Speak freely to tell the students what you think.

Housing + Transportation Affordability Index. The Washington Post recently featured the Center for Neighborhood Technology's new interactive mapping tool, the Housing+Transportation Affordability Index, which measures the true cost of a household's location by taking into account transportation costs. Please take a moment to look at this eye-opening site. One of CMAP's priorities is to help the region achieve a better jobs/housing balance so people can live nearer to where they work. Transportation expenses -- including fuel and congestion -- are important factors in the housing equation.

Chicago's Green Dividend.  CEOs for Cities has posted an interesting video that asks: How much is two miles worth? (Thanks to Lee for this link.)

Event reminders: Water governance and Lake Michigan Academy. Don't forget the "Beyond Showerheads and Sprinklers: Water Governance Solutions for Illinois" conference will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008. It's geared to state and local officials, water authorities, conservation organizations, water companies and utilities, municipal water officials, agricultural and industrial water users, planners, and wastewater and stormwater management professionals. Click here to register online. And there's also still time to register for a conference of the Lake Michigan Watershed Academy from May 20 to 22. Hosted by CMAP, this three-day interactive event will cover water quality issues and regional policy development relevant to Lake Michigan and its basin, including watersheds in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.

Earth Mother's Day. You can celebrate Mother's Day at the Friends of the Fox River's ninth annual Monitor With Your Mother on Sunday May 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Fox River Shores Forest Preserve in Carpentersville. This year's focus is on Energy & Water Quality. The Field Museum's Veggie Vehicle will be there as will the District 300 Cool Bus to demonstrate Bio fuels. Popular family entertainer Kathleen Gibson will perform at 12:30 p.m. Along with local music will be words from local governmental representatives and a few surprise guests. For more, see http://www.friendsofthefoxriver.org or contact Gary Swick (847-426-1322).