Big Red Numbers Day: The Mayor's Chicago Budget Address
The mayor sets out on his 2013 budget this morning, and expectations are that revenues will come from TIF surpluses and an improving economy, but no new taxes or fees; you can watch it live.
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Chicago's Alleys and Its Growing, Hidden Green Infrastructure
The city’s plan to cool its temperatures in the age of global warming is going up above, below, and around you, including within the city’s alleys—which, with 1,900 miles worth, are the most of any city in the country.
Today in Violence Prevention: The Chicago Violence Tax and Inner-City Farming
Toni Preckwinkle floats a tax on guns and ammunition, not the first that’s been proposed in Illinois, and an NRA lobbyist harshes it; and Alex Kotlowitz takes a look at the Growing Home urban garden.
Obama's Power Problem
THE OBAMA WAY: Republicans may enjoy calling the president a typical Chicago politician. But Rick Perlstein argues that Obama isn’t Chicago enough—and that’s why he faces such a tough contest on November 6.
School Testing and the Burden of Childhood Lead Exposure
Studies of Massachusetts and Milwaukee schoolkids suggest that one straightforward way to improve school performance, even on standardized tests alone, is to reduce lead exposure.
Why They Ran: Three Stories from the 2012 Chicago Marathon
A 72-year-old on his 35th marathon, a novice wheelchair racer, and a young man with an epiphany
The Southern Great Migration to Chicago, Black and White
In This Affluent Society captures the Great Migration to Chicago with archival footage and interviews, including former residents of “Hillbilly Heaven,” better known as Uptown.
Bicyclist Killed Downtown Avoiding a Dooring
One of the things that makes experienced cyclists most nervous is the ever-present threat of getting hit when a car door is opened into a bike lane. Some bike advocates are against any bike lanes that run to the left of parked cars.
This Week in Urbanism: Pawn Shops and Helmetless Riders
Sudhir Venkatesh on guns, kids, and crime; Mick Dumke on the politics and economics of pawn shops in Chicago; a map of city food truck parking; and more
Rahm Emanuel, Trade-Union Racism, and the Burden of History
In response to a South Side labor protest, the mayor off-handedly mentioned the history of racial segregation in the “building trades.” It’s a long and ugly one, and even though private-sector unions have worked for years to undo the damage, we’re still living with it.