Weekly Update, 11/16/07

The IDOT Bureau of Safety Engineering's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is an excellent opportunity for local agencies to secure funding for local road and street improvements that enhance safety.  To qualify for these funds, an analysis of the location needs to be performed that will include a cost-benefit calculation for the project.  The projects need to be submitted by March 1, 2008.  To help agencies develop their proposals, the Technology Transfer Center is offering a regional HSIP workshop on December 4.  Located at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 Ravina Avenue, Orland Park, IL. This class is offered at no cost, but space is limited.  See http://www.dot.state.il.us/blr/manuals/infocirculars/CL2007-18.pdf for program and registration information. Please don't miss this opportunity to make your community safer.

Remember to register for Climate Change summit.  There's still time to sign up for our next summit at UIC on December 11.  Visit http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/climate_summit.aspx to register and see the agenda for "Creating a Regional Agenda to Address Climate Change."  Featured speakers include Dr. Robert Rosner, director of Argonne National Laboratory, and Adele Simmons, vice-chair of Chicago Metropolis 2020, president of Global Philanthropy Partnership, and co-chair of Chicago Climate Task Force.  For more information, call 312.386.8704 or email summit@cmap.illinois.gov.

CMAP Regional Comprehensive Planning Process brochure.  Visit http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/plan/ for a new brochure that summarizes the six-step process CMAP will use to complete the Regional Comprehensive Plan.  (From now through Spring 2008 is Step 1:  Developing a regional vision.)  The brochure includes a timeline through Fall 2010, when the plan will be published.  If you haven't yet, please take a few moments to complete the vision survey (http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/survey.aspx). 

Upcoming Regional Snapshot reports.  The next Regional Snapshot is intended to define the concept of "sustainability" for use in developing the Regional Comprehensive Plan, among other purposes.  It's scheduled for release on December 11, 2007 to coincide with the CMAP Climate Change summit.  The snapshot will explore ways to measure sustainability by identifying potential indicators, along with analysis of their policy implications.  See http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/snapshot.aspx for more about this and other upcoming snapshots.

Green Roof and Cool Roof solicitation.  The City of Chicago is seeking proposals for green roofs and cool roofs on residential and commercial buildings.  The City will provide $185,000 in Cool Roof grants, or approximately 55 grants of up to $6,000 each.  The program will help eligible building owners who want to meet or exceed EPA Energy Star cool roof standards. The standards are intended to reduce the urban heat island effect or the warming caused in cities when heat is absorbed by pavement and other dark surfaces.  A cool roof uses special materials to reflect the sun's heat off the roof surface instead of warming the building below.  Green roof grants will total $100,000, with approximately 20 grants of up to $5,000 each. The grants are used toward the cost of installing green roofs on residential buildings, commercial building and select schools.  Application forms are available at http://www.cityofchicago.org/Environment or at the Department of Environment, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2500. Applications for Cool Roof grants will be accepted and awarded on an ongoing basis, subject to funding availability. Applications for Green Roof grants are due January 11, 2008.

Congratulations to Rita Athas.  Mayor Daley has appointed CMAP Board vice chair Rita Athas as executive director of World Business Chicago (http://www.worldbusinesschicago.com/), a non-profit economic development corporation dedicated to enhancing the Chicago region's global position as a business location.  See http://tinyurl.com/ywkglv for a Sun-Times story about Rita's appointment.

MPC roundtable luncheon.  On Thursday, December 6, I will be part of a panel with author Reid Ewing at the Metropolitan Planning Council's event, "The Heat is On: Why hybrid vehicles won't save the planet."  The time is 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and location is Mayer Brown, 33rd Floor, 71 South Wacker Drive, Chicago.  Mr. Ewing is a former Arizona state legislator and current professor at the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland who wrote the new report titled "Growing Cooler: the Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change," published by the Urban Land Institute. According to MPC, "Ewing concludes that energy-efficient cars and low-carbon fuel technologies alone are not enough to reverse the deleterious effects of climate change. Instead, the oft-overlooked but critical third component -- uncoordinated growth -- is the missing link in public discourse to permanently reduce carbon emission levels."  See http://tinyurl.com/2xkdnv for details or call Pam Lee at 312-863-6011. 

Regional Equity ’08 National Summit.  Online registration is now open for “Regional Equity ’08: The Third National Summit on Equitable Development, Social Justice, and Smart Growth” from March 5-7, 2008, in New Orleans. Hosted by Policy Link, the Summit promises to be an amazing opportunity to join with more than 1,000 diverse leaders and advocates from the nonprofit, public policy, philanthropic, business, and academic arenas to commit to providing all Americans the opportunity to participate and prosper. CMAP will present their data and mapping work at the event, and other confirmed speakers include Tavis Smiley, Manuel Pastor, Salon’s Joan Walsh, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and many more national leaders. See http://tinyurl.com/2krd4n and register before December 17th to save 25 percent. 

MacArthur story on Full Circle.  CMAP’s Full Circle community mapping and planning project is featured in the Fall 2007 edition of the MacArthur Foundation newsletter (http://tinyurl.com/yqm5dm). 

CMAP Staff Quarterly Progress Report.  Please see http://tinyurl.com/2ghnvx for the first quarter’s CMAP staff progress report.  As a result of current quarterly meetings with our managers, we will be making slight changes to the work plan and staff allocation to work toward more effective project management.

Posted by Tom Garritano at 11/16/2007 10:43:18 AM |