New Year, New Directions, as MPC Sets 2005 Policy Agenda
Experts predict that in the
coming decades, only a handful of American metropolises will emerge as truly
“global cities,” those that support the most talented workers, dynamic
companies, and culturally vibrant communities by ensuring that
all
residents can attain a high quality
of life.
MPC wants to help secure a place
for metropolitan
Chicago
– and its 8 million residents – among
the world’s great places to live, work and play. Major concerns and specific
action items that will drive the Council’s work in 2005 are education funding,
quality and accountability reform; property tax relief; improved workforce
housing availability; better transportation funding and planning; and
preservation of open space and water quality and quantity. Specific
recommendations for action at the federal, state and local levels are featured
in the Council’s 2005 Policy Agenda.
“There is a strong connection
between all of MPC’s policy pursuits,” said
Peter
Skosey
, MPC’s vice president of external relations. “We must
ensure that all of our residents have access to quality housing options, better
schools, convenient transportation systems, and healthy communities.”
The 2005 Policy Agenda will be available soon on MPC’s
Web site, www.metroplanning.org.
MPC Co ntact: Peter Skosey, Vice President of External
Relations
312.863.6004 or pskosey@metroplanning.org
State, Local Leaders Want Education Reform to Top 2005 To-Do List
A week after Senate
President Emil Jones urged the
94
th General Assembly to
overhaul
Illinois’ “terrible, terrible, outrageous” school-funding
system, some 200 educators and community leaders from metropolitan
Chicago
met in
Lombard
to
discuss how to make that vision a reality.
The Jan. 21 event, “Building
Consensus for School Funding Reform,” was sponsored by A+ Illinois, Better
Funding for Better Schools Coalition, Illinois Association of School
Administrators, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers,
and Illinois Principals Association. Speakers included MarySue Barrett, MPC
president; Dean Clark, member, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE); school
superintendents; and members of A+ Illinois.
“With prominent state
legislators calling for education funding reform and folks from across the state
building consensus around proposals such as HB750, we have hope that 2005 will
be the year Illinois finally fixes its broken school funding system,” said Bindu
Batchu, A+ Illinois campaign manager. “We can’t afford to fail another
generation of
Illinois
children.”
Also, on Friday, Jan. 28, and Monday, Jan. 31, those
concerned about Illinois ’ school-funding crisis can make their voices heard at
ISBE’s Finance and Audit Committee’s FY06 budget hearings. (For details on these
and other events, visit www.aplusillinois.org/calendar/calendar.asp.)
A+ Illinois Contact: Bindu Batchu , Campaign Manager, A+ Illinois
312.863.6014 or bbatchu@metroplanning.org
Paving the Way for More Thoughtful Road Construction in Illinois
In the world of transportation
design, “getting there” traditionally has been the aim, with the focus on
increasing flow of traffic along wider, faster, straighter roads. However,
according to a new MPC Issue Brief, that emphasis is changing. Today, the public
wants roads that satisfy safety and mobility concerns, but also incorporate
innovative designs and embody community values.
To accomplish such
“context-sensitive” transportation projects, early community involvement is
vital. This feedback allows the resulting road to be many things to many people:
more attractive, cost-effective and environmentally-sensitive; serving multiple
modes of travel, with adjoining bike paths or transit lanes; and even sparking
new economic development opportunities.
“Examples of context-sensitive
transportation projects exist in
Illinois
,” said
Natashia Holmes
, MPC senior transportation associate.
“However, transportation and land use decision makers – from IDOT to local
planners – must work together to develop and apply a consistent method for
accomplishing context sensitivity in all transportation projects.”
The brief, “Improving Transportation Design,” will be
available soon at www.metroplanning.org.
MPC Contact: Natashia Holmes ,
Senior Transportation Associate
312.863.6022 or
nholmes@metroplanning.org
Contact: Diane Legge Kemp, FAIA ASLA, Principal, DLK
Civic Design
312.322.0911 ext. 102 or dleggekemp@dlkinc.com
Campaign-ULI Community-Assistance Model Gaining National Attention
To help local communities turn
development challenges into success stories, the Campaign for Sensible Growth
and Urban Land Institute (ULI) Chicago have brought Technical Assistance Panels
(TAPs) to 11 municipalities since 2001. TAP volunteers – local experts in
planning, development, market analysis, finance and more – spend two days
examining a community’s challenges, then provide an action plan for overcoming
challenges and realizing opportunities.
This model has
attracted national attention. Campaign
Manager
Ellen
Shubart will join other planning experts
in
Miami , Jan. 27-29,
to speak about successful community-assistance initiatives at the
“
4th
Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy, and Livable
Communities.”
“The beauty of the Campaign-ULI
TAP model is that it is a cost-effective, flexible, hands-on approach to helping
low-capacity communities,” said Shubart. “Since 2001, our TAPs have addressed
problems ranging from
transit-oriented
development to redeveloping a disinvested, privately owned housing project. With
a little outside help, communities are addressing their problems with
confidence, and creating new models for sensible growth.”
In 2005, the Campaign will organize a TAP in south
suburban Midlothian , Ill. , and in other locations to-be-announced. To learn
more about TAPs and other Campaign for Sensible Growth initiatives, visit www.growingsensibly.org.
MPC Contact: Ellen Shubart, Manager, Campaign for Sensible Growth
312.863.6004 or
eshubart@metroplanning.org
Contact: Gregory W. Hummel, Partner, Bell Boyd &
Lloyd, LLC; Chairman, Campaign-ULI TAP in Elburn, Ill., October 2004
312.372.1121 or ghummel@bellboyd.com