Metropolitan Planning Council

1955 Chicago Union Station Booklet: Cross-Roads of the Nation

rgriffin-stegink@metroplanning.org (Ryan Griffin-Stegink) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:00

This 1950s booklet was produced by the railroads that then owned Chicago Union Station to promote the terminal's modern amenities and luxurious cross-country trains. When the station was at its peak, it boasted everything from a women's lounge and nursery to a jail. Today, this piece serves as an inspiration for both the transportation and Placemaking enhancements planned in the Chicago Union Station Master Plan. Thanks to David L. Phillips at TranSystems for hunting this down and scanning it.

Commute Options Case Study: Champro Sports

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00

Champro Sports manufactures sports equipment and apparel, which it distributes from its location in Wheeling, Ill. Download the one-page case study to see how Champro is using Commute Options to improve their employees' commutes and give them alternatives to driving alone.

Another great morning to ride your bike to work

Fri, 11 May 2012 4:39:52

Video (0:31)

View from morning commute on lakeshore path

Fri, 11 May 2012 3:33:15

Video (1:01)

Commute Options Case Study: Labelmaster

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00

Labelmaster develops, manufactures and markets products that help industry comply with regulations governing the safe handling and transport of hazardous materials. Download the one-page case study to see how Labelmaster is using Commute Options to improve their employees' commutes and give them alternatives to driving alone.

Homes for a Changing Region: Phase Three, Year Five: Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood, and Oak Park

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:00:00

Homes for a Changing Region, led by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, is identifying specific, local, regional and state strategies to address imbalances in northeastern Illinois' housing stock. MPC is supporting the evolution of Homes for a Changing Region by encouraging neighboring communities to work together to develop interjurisdictional solutions to housing challenges and by using transparent community engagement strategies to develop these…

Place Stations: Creating Fun and Functional Transit Centers

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:00:00

Place Stations: Creating Fun and Functional Transit Centers March 14, 2012

GRIP Urban Exchange 3: Don Ness and Karen Freeman-Wilson

rgriffin-stegink@metroplanning.org (Ryan Griffin-Stegink) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:00:00

By Ryan Griffin-Stegink

GRIP Urban Exchange series part 3, featuring Duluth, Minn. Mayor Don Ness and Gary, Ind. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson.

Riding EcoBici across an enormous roundabout in traffic, Avenida de la Reforma, Mexico City

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 5:16:43

Video (0:26)

Protected bike lane on Avenida de la Reforma, Mexico City

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 5:12:00

Video (0:17)

Metrobús BRT station stop

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 5:01:31

Video (0:18)

Metrobús BRT station in Mexico City

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 4:57:30

Video (0:12)

Duluth, Minn. Mayor Don Ness offers advice for Gary, Ind. Mayor Karen-Freeman Wilson

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 1:57:45

Thanks to Michael Puente of WBEZ 91.5 for providing audio! The Gary and Region Investment Project (GRIP), a multi-year effort to advance key transformative investments in Northwest Indiana's urban core, invites you to attend the third event in the GRIP Urban Exchange series, featuring Mayor Donald Ness of Duluth, Minn., and Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson of Gary, Ind. The similarities between Gary and Duluth are uncanny: These two mid-sized industrial towns have grappled for decades with the loss…

GRIP Urban Exchange 3: Don Ness and Karen Freeman-Wilson

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 3:13:00

Slideshow (12 slides)

Developing Vibrant Retail in Bronzeville

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:00:00

When the Bronzeville Alliance, a coalition of local community organizations, invited the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) to help staff and provide recommendations to its Bronzeville Retail Initiative, MPC jumped at the opportunity to support coordinated retail planning, retention, and recruitment efforts in this community. This work advances and complements Reconnecting Neighborhoods, a partnership between the City of Chicago, Regional Transportation Authority, the consulting firm HNTB, and…

Home Energy Renovations for Employees

sdekoven@metroplanning.org (Samantha DeKoven) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00

By Samantha DeKoven

Up to $6,000 for home energy improvements Many employers in metropolitan Chicago have experienced the benefits of investing in employer-assisted housing (EAH), through which they assist their employees to buy or rent homes near work. Empllyer benefits include improved company morale, increased productivity, and reduced turnover - as well as related cost savings and potential tax credits. The region's new home renovation intiative builds on EAH by allowing employers to help their employees…

Homes for a Changing Region: Phase Three, Year Four: Hazel Crest, Lansing, Olympia Fields and Park Forest

rgriffin-stegink@metroplanning.org (Ryan Griffin-Stegink) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00

By Ryan Griffin-Stegink

2012 Plan for Prosperity: Innovative Solutions for the New Normal

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:00

To read MPC's 2012 Plan for Prosperity, download the file. The following is MPC President MarySue Barrett's introductory letter. Sometimes, things aren’t what they seem. For decades, the United States enjoyed what appeared to be boundless economic expansion. Consumers spent and borrowed prolifically, and governments followed suit to serve growing populations. Thousands of new communities sprang up as the housing industry boomed. The credit market ballooned, and the Dow reached new…

Ryerson Woods with Nan Buckardt

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 5:09:00

Slideshow (19 slides)

Public comment on Chicago Union Station Master Plan

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 1:57:33

Mr. James Beatman, Sr., an attendee of the Dec. 15, 2011 public forum on the Chicago Union Station Master Plan, puts the principles of Placemaking into his own terms.