Image courtesy Liz Granger
A peaceful Garfield Park Conservatory photo taken at a Preserving Affordability Together event last Tuesday, before the moratorium on group gatherings was put in place
Tweet this
Dear family and friends of the Metropolitan Planning Council,
Like many of you across the Chicago metropolitan region, we have started to adjust to the unprecedented uncertainty of recent days — postponing events, reassuring our staff, and preparing to continue our vital work of building a better, bolder, more equitable future for everyone.
We’ve been around for more than 85 years, but no one has navigated a moment quite like this. People rely on MPC to sift through confusing information, map out a bold strategy, and execute on it with an inclusive group of talented partners.
That feels a lot harder in this moment of forced isolation. It makes me appreciate the intrinsic value of gathering and collaborating, actions that come naturally to MPC. Except now, we have to redefine how we are there for each other.
We will be there for our allies in East Garfield Park, as a sounding board and cheering squad, as they follow through on new strategies to preserve housing affordability.
We will be there with reliable data about the urgency of getting lead out of our drinking water pipes, even as we grapple with other public health needs.
And we will be there for our disabled and our elderly residents, helping direct infrastructure investments to enhance transportation choices and achieve universal mobility.
Out of care and concern for our staff and all our communities, MPC is postponing all public events through the end of April.
Please check in regularly with www.metroplanning.org and on Twitter @metroplanners or @MarySueMPC for insights and interventions that can lessen the trauma on our most vulnerable populations and on our economy, and for inspirational stories about the resilient human spirit.
Even though we are frustrated that we can’t hang out with friends or that our kids can’t have playdates, we can still call to check in on our neighbors, make a donation to a food pantry, and crack open that book on our nightstand.
The Metropolitan Planning Council is as committed as ever to unleashing the greatness of this region. Because we believe every neighborhood has promise, every community should be heard, and every person can thrive. And we will, again.
Please be safe,
