| |  | | "Festival Park" in downtown Elgin, IL. Photo by Jessica Thompson. Winner "Community Vitality" category from our 2009 Photo Contest. |
by Erin Aleman
1/27/10
The Chicago Tribune featured a story today on how the Chicago neighborhoods of Wicker Park and Bucktown are supporting their local artists in order to reinvigorate the area's unique bohemian roots while addressing issues of crime and property values. Sprucing up your neighborhood might be as easy as employing some good urban design. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced a new funding program through The NEA Mayors' Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative. They will be giving small grants that support planning, design, and arts engagement. NPR did a story on the millions of stimulus dollars that have been allocated for the arts and whether or not people agree that funding for creativity will stimulate the economy. Does this support our Regional Vision? We think so. For guidelines on the NEA grant process click here. To see if you are in an eligible city in our region click here.  permalink
   
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by Anne Holub
1/15/10This week's Monday Flickr Photo comes from our Explore Northeastern Illinois Pool and Flickr user Renee Rendler-Kaplan. Her shot of these vibrant flowers in the Chicago Botanic Garden greenhouse in Glencoe, IL reminds me that the gray days of winter do have the opportunity for color. Add your favorite shots of our region to the pool to share your insights. permalink |
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| | The following is part of a series of blog contributions by Robert Munson, a member of the CMAP Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC). The views expressed are not necessarily those of the CAC or of CMAP itself. by Robert Munson, CAC member
1/20/10  | " Global Metropolises Walk Their Talk " introduces how these three metropolises apply the above principles better than does our region. |  | " Lessons from Berlin " reminds us that a central station is a practical symbol stressing the importance of integrating transit systems. |  | " Paris: How Collaboration Works " shows how regional government is the key to city and suburbs working together better. |  | " London Lesson " tells us regional authority can ebb and flow as required by the situation. |
The year 2010 will culminate our most intense decade of regional planning ever. Our leaders started this process to make Chicago a global center within a world-class metropolis. Before we agree to a plan for 2040, let’s measure our region against three metropolises: Berlin, Paris and London.
Our competition has a strategic edge: they move more people around more efficiently each day than do we. Their micro-micro moves cumulatively build the net worth of every business and household and their ability to pay for public services, or need less services.
The competition’s transit investment produces more wealth than ours because they apply three principles better.
First, their communities are more compact; thus encouraging options more cost-effective than autos.
Second, their transit systems are integrated; making usage easier, faster, cheaper.
Third, each region manages its systems better because there is clear authority.
Read this series of four articles on how the competition is beating our metropolis. Each photo symbolizes a key point of each article. Click and take a quick trip to each. permalink |
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by Anne Holub
1/15/10 In celebration of our 2009 Images of Northeastern Illinois Photo Contest, CMAP will hold a public show at Prairie Bread Kitchen located at 103 N. Marion St., Oak Park, IL. The show will feature our 6 winners and 6 runners-up. CMAP staff and winning photographers will be in attendance for a launch on January 30, 2010 from 2-3pm. The photos will be on display at Prairie Bread Kitchen through the month of February. We hope you can stop by and enjoy them. Prarie Bread Kitchen is conveniently located just north of the CTA Green Line Harlem/Lake stop, the Metra Oak Park stop on the Union Pacific/West Line, is easily accessed via bike or on foot, or if you drive, lies just north of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) and there is metered street and lot parking nearby. Many thanks to Prairie Bread Kitchen for the opportunity to share these photos with the public.  While supplies last, you can also order a free2010 Calendar created by CMAP featuring our 12 winning photos (with a bonus Staff Pick photo). Just fill out this order form. Update: Our supply of calendars has now run out. We are filling the orders we have received so far and will be shipping those out shortly. Thanks to everyone who ordered!
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| |  by Diana Torres
1/13/10
CMAP staff participated in the 7th Annual DuPage Environmental Summit on Thursday, January 7 at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL). This year’s topic was preserving Open Space and Green Infrastructure in the Built Environment and CMAP was proud to share the Open Lands Strategy Paper that was recently completed. This white paper outlines several general strategies that will be proposed in GO TO 2040 plan to be released later this year. To learn more about this and other environmental research topics we have explored, please visit our Strategy Papers homepage.
Aimed at attracting community and business leaders, elected officials, planners, and professionals in the environmental field, this year’s summit covered issue areas affecting the Chicago metropolitan collar counties, an area whose voters "have approved 30 open space ballot measures totaling $1.3 billion dollars…[to help] protect about 35,000 acres of land” (DuPage Environmental Summit brochure). In an effort to promote open space and promote a green future, the Summit brought together experts and professionals to discuss various facets of the topic. Speakers included Robert J. Schillerstrom (DuPage County Board), Jeff Redick (DuPage County Board Environmental Committee), D. “Dewey” Pierotti (Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President), Brent Manning (Forest Preserve District of DuPage County), Jeff Mengler (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Chicago Wilderness), Ders Anderson (Openlands), Dan Lobbes (The Conservation Foundation), Jim Kleinwachter (The Conservation Foundation) and Dr. Jack Sheaffer (DuPage Environmental Commission).
Sponsors included the DuPage Environmental Commission, The Conservation Foundation, The DuPage Community Foundation, the DuPage County Board/Environmental Committee, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Benedictine University, SCARCE and the University of Illinois Extension. permalink |
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| | by Anne Holub
1/5/10 We're very happy to announce the winners of our 2009 Images of Northeastern Illinois Photo Contest! We received over 400 entries of wonderful photographs from around the region. After a lot of deliberation, our judges announced that the following photos best represented what the photographer valued in their region in the following categories: Transportation: Winner, "Snake," River North, Chicago; by John M. Kelly
Runner-Up, "Wheels," 1600 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago; by Jason Martini Diversity: Winner, "Old and New," downtown Chicago; by Janet L. Stevenson-Kruzel
Runner-Up, "Del Encanto," Aurora Puerto Rican Festival, Downer St., Aurora; by Gilbert Feliciano Community Vitality: Winner, "Festival Park," downtown Elgin; by Jessica Thompson
Runner-Up, "Wicker Park Fest," 1550 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago; by Jason Martini Architecture: Winner, "Contrasts," Chicago loop; by Ronald P. Ziolkowski Jr.
Runner-Up, "Gold Coast Graystones," Gold Coast, Chicago; by Monika Thorpe Environment: Winner, "Camouflaged Deer," Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, Long Grove; by Kristy Morimoto
Runner-Up, "Echinacea," Lurie Garden, Millennium Park, Chicago; by Laurie Chipps Overall Winner: "Insubstantiality," Chicago from Eastbound I-90; by Gilbert Feliciano
Runner-Up:"The Lone Passenger," Downers Grove; by Michael Brown You can see these photos in the slideshow below or online. We are also about to print a 2010 calendar featuring each of our 12 winning pictures. Details on how you can obtain your free copy coming soon. We're also planning a public show of the winning photos at a time and location TBA. Many thanks to all of our judges for generously donating their time and expertise to this contest. Also, thanks to our contest sponsors for their generous donation of prizes including: permalink |
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| I hope that's the John Kelly I know.
Posted by: Administrator on 01/04/2010 |
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