Chicago Outdoor Living (and Eating): Sidewalk Cafes, People Spots, and now … the Curbside Cafe
The Curbside Cafe ordinance – permitting restaurants to annex parking spaces for outdoor seating – is Chicago’s newest option outdoor seating.
It’s Going to Snow, Chicago. Let’s All Be Adults About Shoveling Our Shared Spaces
You can’t have missed the news that Friday is predicted to be the FIRST SNOW OF WINTER. So watch out Chicago, the craziness is about to begin. Dibs wars, unplowed streets, icy sidewalks and shoveling back ache. It’s all around the corner. But, really, Fellow Chicagoans, it happens every year. So we may as well…
What really makes strong neighborhoods? And why cities like Chicago are rich in them
Today we use Planing to Stay as a lens for understanding what makes strong neighborhoods.
Halloween Community Building: Spooky Decor and Trick-or-Treating Strengthens Neighborhoods
Decorating for Halloween signals that we are participating in a neighborhood ritual – reinforcing our community citizenship – and that we plan to throw open our door on Saturday to anyone who rings the bell.
Placemaking on Lincoln: Listening to Sneckdowns
We’re excited to see progress on the new placemaking project at the Lincoln | Wellington | Southport intersection. What about you?
Slim Streets with Sneckdowns: We Could Reduce Road Infrastructure Wherever the Snow Sticks
Sneckdown spotting shows us areas of roadway both small and large that no one is driving on. Asphalt comes at a cost, so we should reclaim that public space. Let us tell you why.
A Tale of Two Cities: Sharing the Road in Amsterdam and Istanbul
While the idea of an official “Shared Street” may be new and somewhat unsettling to Chicagoans today, the idea is anything but new or untested. We only need to look back to the pre-car dominated city to see how the streets used to be much more public territory than they are today. The image below of…
Uptown's Proposed Shared Street at Argyle: How ADDING Uncertainty Can Make Our Side Streets Safer
Anticipating City Made festival this weekend, when Andersenville will turn Clark between Argyle and into an open air market and street party for two days has us wishing that some of our city’s streets could always be a little more integrated. Anyone who’s ever attended a block party or recalls a childhood game of kickball…
Make Streets Smarter with Sneckdown Spotting
Sneckdowns highlight road areas where cars don’t drive and pavement could be replaced with pedestrian zones or permeable surfaces. Learn how cities can battle runoff and make roads safer by watching winter snow.