Chicago
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The Second City: Why Chicago Should Implement America’s Next Congestion Pricing
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After a lengthy, contentious, and still ongoing political process, New York City became the first American city to implement congestion pricing in January of this year. Despite fierce opposition, the move has been a smashing success and is winning over the public. If Chicago wants to keep pace as one…
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Walkable Cities: Ending the Automobile Reign
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In the US, the car is an unkind king to its citizens. Cars mobilize, but also blast out pollutants and promote a sedentary and lonelier lifestyle. Conversely, walkable cities—where reaching local amenities on foot is both feasible and pleasant—bring myriad health and social benefits. Suburban sprawl is not conducive to…
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The Case for Chicago’s Public Health Vending Machines
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On November 2, 2023, the Chicago Department of Public Health launched its first Public Health Vending Machine at Harold Washington Library as part of a one-year pilot program aimed at providing harm reduction and opioid overdose prevention supplies. This pilot program deploys a total of five Public Health Vending Machines…
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Cui Prodest? The Victims’ Justice Ordinance and Chicago’s Future
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With her poll numbers falling in the lead-up to the Chicago Mayoral election in 2021, an embattled Lori Lightfoot sought to appear “tough on crime” by proposing the Victims’ Justice Ordinance, one of the most controversial civil asset forfeiture laws ever put forward in Chicago’s history. Despite the fact that…
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Chicago Citizens Need Predictability in Their Electricity Bills
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Chicago, a bustling metropolis, is known for its architectural splendor, robust sports, museum culture and vibrant economy. However, beneath its towering skyline, there lies a pressing issue that often goes unnoticed: the disproportionate impact of fluctuating energy costs on its marginalized communities. These communities, crucial to the city’s diverse tapestry,…
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Chicago Parking Reform: An Interview with Lindsay Bayley
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Lindsay Bayley is the Co-Founder and Advisory Board Member of the Parking Reform Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the impact of parking policy on climate change, equity, housing, and traffic. Lindsay is also the Program Lead for Safe & Complete Streets at the Chicago Metropolitan…
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Doing The Work: Robin Rue Simmons on Implementing the Nation’s First Government-Funded Reparations Program
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Robin Rue Simmons is the Founder and Executive Director of First Repair, a nonprofit organization that provides expertise, technical assistance, and advocacy for local reparations nationwide. As the 5th Ward Alderwoman in Evanston, Illinois from 2017-2021, Ms. Rue Simmons choreographed the establishment of the United States’ first municipally-funded reparations legislation.…
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What Happens to Chicago if the Bears Leave for the Suburbs?
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The Chicago Bears are likely leaving Chicago for Arlington Heights. In June of 2021, the Chicago Bears — a founding member-team of the National Football League (NFL) — purchased Arlington International Racecourse for $197.2 million. The final sale is expected to close by early 2023, but the team has already…
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Racial Justice is Infrastructure
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True political moments represent a chance to try and right a historical wrong. The infrastructure bill signed into law last November creates a unique political moment to make marginal progress on longstanding issues of racial justice. Too often policy windows pass, news cycles change and political moments come and go…
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A Major Tear in the Chicago Safety-Net System
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Since 2000, the Chicago area has witnessed 20 hospital closures, a loss of nearly a quarter of the city’s hospitals. In the past three years alone, there were four scheduled hospital closures in the South and West sides, though one—Mercy Hospital—was saved at the last minute by an out-of-state investor.…
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How Chicago Successfully Reversed Opioid Trends
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After a century of increasing life expectancy in the United States, 2020 witnessed a decline of 1.5 years. Although primarily attributable to COVID-19, the pandemic only exacerbated the persistent health crises of the “before-times,” further contributing to the decline. In particular, the opioid epidemic, which continues to ravage the country,…