Urbanism
Taking Urban Planning Out of Storage
Last month I bemoaned Chicago's future. Now, for the first time in 11 years, I work in urban planning again. And I just held Chicago history in my hands.
Urbanism
Urbanism
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad 'Burbs?
One of the things I shouted loudest when I first began Chicago Carless four-and-a-half years ago no longer applies. Back in mid-2005, I still carried around my New-York-native anti-surburban bias. On recent reflection, it's time to let the suburbs have their due. At least in Chicago.
Urbanism
Urbanophile Blog Blasts Nichols Bridgeway
In May, I threw down the charge for local bloggers to set aside starchitect fandom in their reviews of Renzo Piano's new Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing. This week, Aaron Renn, author of the widely noted urban-analysis blog, The Urbanophile, took up the challenge. A fan of the Modern Wing's ext
Urbanism
Modern Wing Windiness
Over the Memorial Day break, I scoured the Chicagosphere for evidence that a balanced opinion of the the Art Institute of Chicago's newly opened Modern Wing might exist somewhere on a website written in a ZIP Code beginning with 606. Fat chance.
Urbanism
Crown Fountain Cameras KAPUT!!!
Ah, the power of the blogosphere. As of 11:00 a.m. this morning, the City of Chicago has removed the security cameras from the top of Millennium Park's Crown Fountain. Good riddance. Devyn and I blogged about the offending cameras and got the Chicago Tribune to write an article on the issue--and art
Urbanism
City of Chicago Defaces Crown Fountain
There are many good places to put security cameras in Chicago's architecturally brilliant Millennium Park. Smack on top of Jaume Plensa's hyper-popular Crown Fountain is not one of those places.
Urbanism
"Polk Street Canyon" By Any Other Name...
Let's be clear: it is not 'the community of Printers Row' that's behind the newly created website SavePrintersRow.com, no matter what the website's front page claims. It's just those NIMBY-loving malcontent condo owners from Folio Square trying to block the construction of Burnham Pointe again.
Urbanism
GSA Considering Demolition of Berghoff Restaurant for Federal Center Expansion
Since 2005, the General Services Administration has been acquiring buildings on the State Street block adjoining Federal Center to eventually demolish and build out new office space. The Chicago Loop's historic Berghoff Restaurant, on the same block, has been protected from those plans. Until now.
Urbanism
A Greater State Street
Marshall Field's becoming Macy's and Carson Pirie Scott's flagship store becoming no more do not portend the end of commercial life on State Street. Really.
Urbanism
Pioneering in Polk Street Canyon
I have the Malcontents of Polk Street Canyon to thank for my boyfriend's new apartment. Unhappy with the fratty scumminess of his downtown condo building, in May, Devyn dragged me around town to scope out new digs. We didn't have to look very far. On a shopping trip to the Roosevelt Road Target, we
Urbanism
Inside Inland Steel
Architectural porn for the modernists among you, Devyn recently completed posting a five-part photo series on Chicago's venerable Inland Steel building, which we both toured during the recent Chicago Great Places and Spaces event.
Urbanism
Block 37 a Block too Far?
Today, the New York Times reported on the hard time Mills Corp. is having getting its New Jersey Meadowlands development, appropriately given the fantasyland monicker, Xanadu, off the ground. Apparently, blown deadlines, cost overruns, shareholder lawsuits, and an SEC investigation surround the east