Monthly conversations explore urban design, population trends, and current events from around the region. These are the places, spaces, and ideas that make Chicagoland special
The trick about urbanism is that it's all around us. We trod sidewalks where, below and above, wires and pipes knit together our region. We pool our resources to improve the place we live. Grassroots placemakers make bold, visionary change. There's a language: trains, roads, ponds, runnels, broadband. Taken together, it's infrastructure, the fabric of our community.
That's why early this spring the Metropolitan Planning Council partnered with our Chicago NPR affiliate, WBEZ, for an ongoing conversation series about urbanism, infrastructure, and policy in our region. Some of the most groundbreaking change—the stuff that affects millions of faucets and commutes and futures—you may not yet be familiar with.
Monthly since March, we've brought together leaders and idea makers to have a chat on the midday "Reset" program with Sasha-Ann Simons. Here's what we've been cooking:
The Equiticity Racial Equity Movement
"Bringing racial equity into transit planning for the Chicago region," Nov 16, 2021
Transit has long been designed to support the white American work commute, but what if transit was planned with a focus on racial and social equity and rider utility?
Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo
Let's look to Chicago's Southside neighborhood when considering investing in our local neighborhoods.
MPC, Facebook
"Online platform tells Chicagoans when rivers are safe for activities," September 27, 2021
A Chicago-area nonprofit has created an online platform to show real-time water quality data that can help people understand when river water is safe for fishing, kayaking and other activities.
John Konstantaras/AP Images for Magnetar
As the Delta Variant looms over a return to school this fall, we’ve learned during this pandemic that the internet is not simply a luxury, but a necessity.
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Facebook
"Climate change action plan for the region is unveiled," June 29, 2021
Hundreds of people and dozens of communities just built a first-ever, collaborative playbook to fight climate change in the Chicago region.
Nam Y. Huh, AP Photo
"Curb appeal: making our communities more pedestrian-friendly," May 5, 2021
Sidewalks seem simple, but they play an important role in communities' success, helping people get around, attracting business, promoting safety, and even advancing resilience to climate change.
Chait Goli, Pexels
"Local governments engaging community to solve problems," March 25, 2021
In this era of COVID-19 and deep inequity, local governments say community engagement has become essential to delivering equitable outcomes.
Listen for us monthly on WBEZ's "Reset." And if you have ideas for engaging conversation, reach out to an MPC staff member. Thank you for your support.