April Media Tips - Metropolitan Planning Council

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April Media Tips

Big Decisions, Discussions, and Data Expected on Regional Transportation

In Illinois, spring signals the start of road construction season; but this year, it’s not just bulldozers rocking the transportation world. On Saturday, the U.S. Olympics Committee selected Chicago for the 2016 bid; this week, the National Surface Transportation Revenue and Policy Study Commission will visit Chicago to hear local testimony on current and future transportation needs; and, in May, after a one-year hiatus to refine its research method, the Texas Transportation Institute will issue its annual Urban Mobility Report , the nationally accepted measure of traffic congestion in U.S. cities.

With the U.S. Olympics Committee decision on Saturday, April 14, that Chicago is its candidate to host the 2016 Olympics, local leaders will need to start prioritizing specific public projects to undertake in preparation for the Games. MPC and other civic groups have emphasized the need to focus on plans that will leave a lasting legacy for Chicagoans, and one much-anticipated legacy is improvements to our streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit systems. Action in 2007 on a state capital plan with selection criteria is more necessary than ever to jumpstart these plans.

On April 18 and 19, the National Surface Transportation Revenue and Policy Study Commission – which Congress created in 2005 to determine national transportation priorities and potential revenue sources ahead of the next federal reauthorization in 2009 – will visit Chicago to hear local testimony on the need to maintain and expand local streets, highways, and freight and commuter lines. MPC Board member John Gates, former CEO of CenterPoint Properties, is among the invited guests. For more on the commission and local hearings, click here.  

Finally, in early May, keep one ear to the ground – or bookmark the Texas Transportation Institute's (TTI) Web site   – to get the scoop on how Chicago traffic ranks nationally when TTI releases its 2007 Urban Mobility Report. MPC can help localize the data for Illinois and Chicago-area reporters.

Contact Mike McLaughlin, transportation director, 312.863.6022 or mmclaughlin@metroplanning.org.

Federal Bill Would Help Working Families Afford Own Homes

MPC’s employer-assisted housing (EAH) model has helped 1,000 Illinoisans purchase homes since 2000, assisted thousands more with free homeownership counseling to avoid potential first-time homebuyer pitfalls such as sub-prime mortgages, and, now, has inspired legislation introduced in Congress: S. 1078 (and HR 1850). Known as the Housing America’s Workforce Act, the bill would provide economic incentives to the growing number of U.S. employers investing in housing solutions through EAH.

In 2000, MPC launched its first EAH project in Illinois with System Sensor, now a division of Honeywell, based in St. Charles, Ill. Since then, more than 60 Illinois employers have invested in EAH programs with MPC, helping more than 1,000 workers. The program owes much of its success to state support: Illinois Housing Development Authority matches an employer’s downpayment assistance for households earning up to 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI in metropolitan Chicago is $75,400 for a family of four.) And employers can tap t he Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit program, which provides a 50-cent tax credit for every $1 invested in EAH. Learn about Illinois EAH programs at the REACH Illinois Web site, and about S. 1078 at Senate co-sponsor Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-NY) Web site.

Contact Robin Snyderman , MPC housing director, 312 .863.6007 or rsnyderman@metroplanning.org.

Bigelow Homes Helping Create a New Legacy in Park Forest

Charlene Raines always wanted a home with a front porch. Her husband, Aurelius Raines, thought it would be fun to live in Chicago and enjoy the amenities of city living. When the couple recently decided to relocate from south suburban Country Club Hills, Ill., they found the perfect compromise in Legacy Square, a new community built near the newly transformed DownTown Park Forest, Ill .

The Bigelow Homes community, 63 new single-family homes, is a key piece of the village’s redevelopment puzzle. In 2003, when the village set out to convert its failed mall into a traditional, walkable, vibrant downtown, local leaders invited the Urban Land Institute-Chicago and Campaign for Sensible Growth to convene a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) to provide redevelopment recommendations . One of the major ones – to remove the “sea” of parking in DownTown Park Forest, assemble a larger parcel, and attract a major developer – has been realized in the creation of Legacy Square.

Through Legacy Square, Bigelow Homes (which also developed the HomeTown Aurora community in west suburban Aurora ) has been working with local leaders to create new developments that benefit the larger community, while attracting homebuyers to walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. The communities focus on marrying residential and retail opportunities to support local economic development and a unique lifestyle tailor-made for families like the Raineses. “We really liked the idea of a little bit of urban living in a quiet setting,” said Charlene, adding that she and Aurelius can walk to the library, shops, and the movie theater, and he can even walk to work.

Perhaps more intriguing is that HomeTown Aurora has been a net gain for the local school district, and early signs indicate Legacy Square will be as well – dispelling the myth that a new residential development always puts a strain on local schools.

Contact Joanna Trotter, MPC Community Building Initiative manager, 312.863.6008 or jtrotter@metroplanning.org; or Michael Venetis, Bigelow Development LLC, 630.631.0700.

Meet the MPC Staff
MPC’s Joanna Trotter Helps Communities Tackle Development Challenges

Joanna Trotter is manager of the MPC Community Building Initiative (CBI), which helps communities tap best practices to address difficult planning and development challenges. In addition to her CBI role, Joanna specializes in suburban housing outreach and policy for the Chicago region. By providing technical assistance and support to communities, Trotter works to preserve and create more homes consistent with Illinois’ first-ever comprehensive housing plan – linking homes, jobs and transportation to enhance quality of life for families and workers of all incomes.

Trotter, who lives with her husband in Bronzeville on Chicago’s South Side, takes an active role in local neighborhood affairs. Her work has encompassed many different communities: Prior to MPC, Trotter was with DevCorp North, helping revitalize commercial districts in Rogers Park, while encouraging balanced growth to meet local needs. While in California, she worked to advance affordable housing policy at PolicyLink, and ran West Hollywood ’s inclusionary housing program.

Trotter is a member of the American Planning Association. She has a master’s degree in urban planning and public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a bachelor’s degree in African American studies and policy studies from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Contact Joanna Trotter , MPC Community Building Initiative manager, 312.863.6008 or jtrotter@metroplanning.org.

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