Friday, August 29, 2008

Links: America's Favorite Architecture





The American Institute of Architects and Google Maps has created the website, America's Favorite Architecture. This online exhibit showcases 150 examples of great American Architecture, and allows you to learn more about, view in high resolution imagery, and vote on your top five favorite examples of architecture. The exhibit can be viewed at: http://www.favoritearchitecture.org/

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Job Opportunity: Village of Palatine

The Village of Palatine seeks an innovative, motivated and energetic professional candidate for the position of Planner I or Planner II within the Village’s Department of Planning & Zoning. The position’s main responsibilities include: performing site plan review, conducting current planning activities, staff support to the Village’s Plan Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals, conducting comprehensive planning projects, participating in Village economic development and marketing activities and reviewing development applications. Project management, assertiveness and strong organizational skills are essential.

Click for More

Job Opportunity: Village of Arlington Heights

The Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois, is one of the largest Chicago suburbs with a population of 77,000. The Village is seeking a well-qualified professional who preferably possesses a Master’s Degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Urban Planning or related field, and a minimum of 3-5 years experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. This position reports to the Director of Planning and Community Development. The employee in this position will be responsible for coordinating many challenging economic development programs. Responsibilities also include attending tradeshows, acting as a liaison to the business community and energetically implementing business attraction and retention efforts. Meets with businesses, real estate professionals and members of the public on a consistent basis. Knowledge of business plans, financial projections and economic financing tools/programs required. Applicants should possess excellent computer skills, writing and presentation skills.

Click for More

News: RTA to implement free rides for disabled individuals

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) will begin partnering with the Illinois
Department on Aging to implement the People with Disabilities Ride Free program after Senate Bill 1920 became law today. The new legislation provides free rides on fixed-route transit (regularly scheduled CTA, Metra, and Pace buses and trains) to be made available to any Illinois resident who has been enrolled as a person with a disability in the Illinois Circuit Breaker program.

The People With Disabilities Ride Free program for the RTA goes into effect on October 24, 2008. “By providing these free rides on fixed-route service, we are giving additional mobility to those who need it most and helping them to improve their quality of life.” commented Steve Schlickman, RTA Executive Director.

In anticipation of the new legislation, the RTA began working with the Service Boards at the end of June to work through the logistics of the program. The program is being administered similarly to the Seniors Ride Free program launched on March 17.

Click for More

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Assistantship: Graduate Assistantship in the Urban and Public Affairs Undergrad Program

There is a 25% time graduate assistantship position with the Urban and Public Affairs undergraduate program. The main duties of the appointment include responsibilities in the area of program development on the Atlantis Grant. The Atlantis grant is providing funding for the development of a joint undergraduate degree between UIC and Politecnico di Milano and the University West of England. I will be your departmental supervisor for the assistantship and will provide specific information about this assistantship. If interested please send me a copy of your resume by Wednesday, September 3, 2008. Thank you.

Valerie Werner, MA, LMFT, Ph.D. (ABD)
Director of the Undergraduate Program in Urban and Public Affairs Interim Assistant Dean for Student Services College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA) University of Illinois at Chicago
412 S. Peoria, Rm. 316, (M/C 350)
voice: (312) 413-2292
fax: (312) 413-8095
vwerne1@uic.edu
http://www.uic.edu/cuppa

Events: Planning Commissioners Workshops





In support of local & regional planning, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association are providing workshops for planning commissioners and elected officials across the region. These workshops consist of two ½-day training sessions held on Saturday mornings. Planning Commissioners and Elected Officials are invited to one of the following events:

September 13 and 27, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Makray Memorial Golf Club
1010 S. Northwest Highway
Barrington, Illinois 60010

September 20 and October 11, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Berkeley Village Hall
5819 Electric Ave
Berkeley, IL 60163

October 18 and November 8, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Waubonsee Community College
Academic and Professional Center
Rt. 47 at Waubonsee Drive
Sugar Grove, IL 60554

Sample topics include:

-Roles and Responsibilities of the Position

-What Your Comprehensive Plan Says About You

-Planning 1-2-3

-Law and Ethics

-Fundamentals of Zoning

-CMAP and the Region

-The Applicant, Your Staff, and You

-Technical Assistance Resources

Registration and continental breakfast start at 8:00 a.m. Registration fee: $80 (covers both sessions). This includes a subscription to APA’s The Commissioner, the Planning 1-2-3 workbook, and a copy of “Now That You’re On Board: How to survive and thrive as a planning commissioner” published by the Planning Commissioners Journal. The maximum capacity is 60 attendees.

RSVP to Jamie Krell at jkrell@cmap.illinois.gov or call (312) 386-8658.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Transit Oriented Dining: Jak's Tap

First Transit Oriented Dining of the School Year!

Friday, August 29th from 6-9

What: Transit Oriented Dining, is a once a month social event to meet your fellow Urban Planning and Policy classmates, check out a different neighborhood in Chicago and enjoy some excellent food and drink.

Where: The first TOD of the year will take place at Jak's Tap conveniently located at 901 W. Jackson Blvd. It's only a few blocks from CUPPA Hall. And is a short walk from the UIC-Halsted Blue line stop.

When: Friday, August 29th from 6pm-9pm.

Who: Everyone is welcome. Current UIC UPP students, alumni, or even people interested in Urban Planning and the program at UIC.

It'll be a great way to end the first week of school, hope to see everyone there!

For more information:
Jaks Tap Website
Jaks Tap on Yelp
Facebook Event RSVP

Assistantship: IRRPP Qualitative Research Assistantship






Graduate Research Assistantship
Qualitative Research
Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy.

IRRPP seeks one 25% Graduate Research Assistant to assist with research projects. Qualifications: Completed at least two years of graduate level work in Sociology, Anthropology, Health, Psychology or Education, and experience and training in qualitative research. Possess good writing skills, initiative and reliability.

Salary: monthly stipend plus tuition and service fee waiver. No tuition (college) differential or other fees are covered. Duration: One semester, renewable for a second semester. Familiarity with and interest in the major topics of focus of the Institute is highly desirable. Please send resume with cover letter to mtayala@uic.edu. Open until filled.

For further information about the Institute please visit our website at http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/irrpp/index.html

Fellowship: Complete Streets Federal Policy Fellowship

The National Complete Streets Coalition is seeking a Complete Streets Fellow to work with a diverse coalition of prominent national organizations working for the adoption of complete streets policies across the country. Specifically, we are looking for a go-getter that will help us advance our federal policy efforts by moving coalition members and partners to action and coordinating the federal policy efforts of the complete streets network. This is a tremendous opportunity for a candidate with a lot of initiative to take on significant responsibility while learning about transportation reform issues and working directly with a variety of well-known leaders and organizations in the field.

Click for More Information

Monday, August 25, 2008

UIC Computer Help Position open to Grad students and Undergrads

ETL at College of Education is looking for a UIC student (undergrad or grad) to work as a computer desktop support/technician/assistant for 10 or 20 hours per week for Fall 2008 with a chance to continue to other semesters. - 1 position - Need to be able to lift and move big, heavy equipment. - Need to know how to fix/troubleshooting Windows and/or Macintosh - Special consideration if you have A+ certificate (in U.S.) - Any major may apply - Undergrad $8.30 per hour approx. - Grad $12 per hour approx. and tuition waiver (tuition waiver may not be available for all applicants)

Please email your cover letter and resume to rsamit2@uic.edu. Please include your resume in body of the email and as an attachment in MS-Word format. You can apply now. Interview process is starting now till the position is filled.

This announcement was posted by rsamit2@uic.edu on 08/12/2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

Chicago History Museum Calls for Interviewees

The Chicago History Museum will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Democratic National Convention (DNC) by recording interviews with individuals who witnessed and participated in the DNC and the demonstrations organized for the event. We are seeking bystanders, policemen, demonstrators, delegates, photographers, students and individuals to share their memories and experiences about this explosive event in American political history.
Beginning Tuesday, August 26, and ending Friday, August 29, the museum invites individuals for interviews between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. These dates mark the fortieth anniversary of the historic convention.

Location:
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614

Those interested should call 312.799.2004 for appointments. Individuals that arrive without an appointment will be taken at a first come, first served basis.

Kankakee County Charrette Planned

The Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association Pro Bono Committee is looking for volunteers!

The Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association Pro Bono Committee has been invited by the Community Arts Council of Kankakee County (CAC) to assist them with feasibility activities related to a possible arts center in downtown Kankakee. The CAC has an opportunity to take ownership of two adjacent historic buildings as a donation from a local developer. A charrette has been scheduled for September 20, 2008.

Visit http://www.ilapa.org/probono.html for more information.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Internship: Chicago Public School Enviromental Program Intern

Environmental Program Intern
Chicago Public Schools
Office of the CEO

Help create environmental programs and policy for over 600 public schools!

Chicago Public Schools' Office of the CEO is hiring an Environmental Program Intern for the 2008-09 school year. In the past year, the CEO's Office has created an Environmental Action Plan and run campaigns like Paper Waste Busters.

We are seeking an intern to expand our successes. The Environmental Program Intern will help implement programs on waste reduction, recycling, composting, energy use, gardens, and transportation; programs are targeted to administrative departments and school-based staff. Interns will have the opportunity to spearhead a project. Successful candidates will have a background and strong interest in environmental issues, especially in governmental and educational settings. This position includes creating effective school outreach, and familiarity with CPS or a large urban school system is desired. Clear and persuasive written and spoken communication, research and data analysis skills, creativity, and perseverance are required. This is a relatively formal working environment.

This paid internship runs from September to June, 10-20 hours per week, and is available to work-study eligible graduate students. We will also consider undergraduate students seeking a quarter/semester position, who will receive transit passes during their service. This internship provides an excellent introduction to city-wide government structure, policy implementation and assessment.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to:
Suzanne Carlson
Environmental Program Manager
Chicago Public Schools
125 S Clark, 5th Floor
Chicago IL 60613
scarlson[at]cps.k12.il.us

Suzanne Carlson
Environmental Program Manager
Office of the CEO
Chicago Public Schools
773-553-1482

New York City Tests out LED Street Lamps

Source: The New York Times

When a small city, like Calabasas, Calif., does something innovative, like banning outdoor smoking, that’s interesting. But when a big city like New York tries something new, it’s probably time to sit up and take notice.

Which is what makes an announcement scheduled for Wednesday so interesting. The city’s Department of Transportation has contracted with the Office for Visual Interaction, a lighting design group, to install and test L.E.D. street lighting. If the tests are successful, the city’s entire stock of 300,000 street lamps could one day be replaced with L.E.D. versions.

Click for More

News: New UIC Urban Transportation Center Interm Director

Dear Colleagues,

As of August 16, 2008, Emeritus Professor Siim Sööt will become interim director of Urban Transportation Center (subject to University of Illinois Board of Trustee approval). Associate Professor Piyushimita (Vonu) Thakuriah will step down on August 15, 2008 from the interim director post she had held for three years. UIC and CUPPA are grateful for the strong leadership and commitment Vonu provided to UTC’s future.

Siim Sööt is no stranger to UTC, or to UIC. He was hired at UIC in 1970 to teach and enhance the university’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) courses. According to Siim, UIC was the first university to offer a one-year sequence of courses on GIS, currently used in a wide variety of applications and used as the basis for services such as Mapquest and route navigation systems in vehicles.

Since then, Siim has held a variety of positions at UIC ranging from assistant professor in the Department of Geography to head of the same department. He has also held several visiting professor posts at home and abroad including Chalmers Technical University - Sweden, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

In 1996, Siim served as president of the Illinois Universities Transportation Research Consortium (IUTRC), a post he held until 2006. The consortium includes Northwestern University, UIC, Illinois Institute of Technology, and UIUC. Also beginning in 1996, he began a formal leadership role at UTC first as associate and then director until 2000.

During his career, Siim has spoken to hundreds of groups and organizations, participated in countless press interviews including Time Magazine and the Christian Science Monitor, has served as an expert witness in many cases and studies, and has been granted several millions of dollars to conduct his research.

Currently, Siim’s research focuses on the association between transportation, land use and home ownership (urban sprawl). He is also working on ways to deliver transportation services to disadvantaged populations.

I am pleased to have Siim step up to a leadership role at UTC once again and look forward to working with him and the entire staff of UTC in the coming year.

Michael A. Pagano, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
University of Illinois at Chicago

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Job Opportunity: City Planner in the city of Geneva, Illinois

The City of Geneva, a vibrant, growth-oriented, historic city of 23,000 located at the west edge of the Chicago metropolitan area, seeks a City Planner to coordinate the review of development proposals, perform zoning compliance reviews, prepare comprehensive plan updates and special planning projects, gather and analyze data, and provide advice and guidance to petitioners.

Requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in urban planning or a related field and three to four years of progressively responsible related experience; or any combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Requires an ability to maintain effective working relationships with residents, property owners, developers, city advisory commissions and other city staff. An understanding of the principles and practices of comprehensive city planning, zoning, and development review processes is required. Effective written and oral communication skills are a must.

The salary range for this position is $57,932-$81,787 annually with a starting range up to $63,578 depending on qualifications. The City of Geneva is an equal employment opportunity employer. Please send resume, three professional references, and completed job application to: Sharon Robbins, Human Resources Office, City of Geneva, 22 South First Street, Geneva, Illinois, 60134 or srobbins@geneva.il.us by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2008. Job applications may be found at www.geneva.il.us. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile.

For more information on the City of Geneva please visit our website at www.geneva.il.us under “Jobs”. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile.

Bike Tour for Students and Staff hosted by our own Professor Curt Winkle

Get to know some of your City, fellow students and faculty before classes start. Prof. Curt Winkle will lead a tour of the central-Chicago lakefront, Little Italy, Pilsen, Little Village and Chinatown by bike for new and continuing planning students, faculty and staff.

When: Saturday, August 23, 2008 10:00 AM

Where: McDonalds Bicycle Center in Millennium Park at 239 East Randolph Street.

Bring or Rent:A Bike and helmet. You can rent a bike at the McDonalds Bicycle Center by calling 888-BIKE-WAY or sending Email to info@chicagobikestation.com

Length:Moderately Easy 20 mile ride in 4 hours with a lunch stop.

Rain: No Rain Date. We go unless it's really pouring.

No Need to RSVP This event is for UIC UPP students, staff and faculty only.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Event: Urban Planning and Policy New Student Orientation

When: Thursday August 21, 2007

What: The Urban Planning and Policy Program New Student Orientation on Thursday, 21 August 2008. The event will begin with registration, at 2:30 PM followed by the first session promptly at 3:00-6:00. There will be breakout sessions of individual concentrations immediately following the orientation from 6:00-6:30

Where: Orientation will be held in Room 302 of the Student Center East (SCE) at 750 South Halsted St. in Chicago. When arriving at SCE, take the escalator to the second floor, walk north to the elevators, and then take an elevator to the third floor.

Travel Directions:
General travel directions to campus

Public Transportation

Report: Friends of the Parks meeting regarding "Last 4 Miles"

This morning I attended a meeting hosted by the Friends of the Parks in Chicago (FOTP). FOTP are doing a study of the “Last 4 Miles” of the Chicago Lakefront that will result in a plan to give public access to the entire Chicago Lakefront. There are two miles on the south side and two miles on the north side.

Highlights of the meeting were:

- 25 or so in attendance, all friendly types like Open Lands, Nature
Conservancy, Bicycle Federation, and our collaboratives the ASLA and AIA

- Check out the FOTP web site to see their preliminary design concepts:
http://www.fotp.org/

- It was mainly a show and tell session but they may look to organizations for endorsements of their plan in the future; this meeting and others is a start of a process to broaden their outreach effort.

- Eleanor Roemer, staff Policy Director of FOTP (312-857-2757; (roemere [at] fotp.org), said they were looking for opportunities to present their plans; I told her about our [Illinois APA] conference in October and she was very interested; I told her I would pass this information on to T.J. and his team; I think it would be really good if we could find a spot on the program for this.

- They will be doing a EIS on their plan; they said it would be to the standards of a federal EIS and it will include cost information.


John H. Paige, AICP
2108 W. North Avenue, #2N
Chicago, IL 60647
(708) 790-9896

Monday, August 18, 2008

Events: GreenTown Conference in Aurora, IL

GreenTown: The Future of Community is a one-day conference designed to help create eco-effective communities. Mayors and elected officials, city managers, public works directors, park district directors, planners, developers, engineers, architects, landscape architects, builders, and many others interested in sustainable development, gather to hear from inspiring speakers, learn from been-there case studies and discuss actionable procedures to make communities more eco-effective.

Join us for GreenTown in beautiful downtown Aurora, Illinois on Thursday, October 2 at the historic Paramount Theatre. This year’s key speakers include Terry Tamminen, former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and author of Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of our Oil Addiction, and Dean Kubani, manager of the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability. The event will feature pre- and post-conference events.

Click for More

Thursday, August 14, 2008

UPPSA BOARDS MEETING @ 5pm August 15th

UPPSA Board Meeting in CUPPA Hall @ 5pm
Friday, August 15th

Contact uppsainfo [at] gmail.com for more information

Internship: Graduate-level Internship at PlaceVision in Chicago, IL

Fall Internship
(August – December)

Responsibilities
PlaceVision seeks a graduate-level intern to work closely with the project leader on web-based urban planning projects. These projects help planners create visual-based zoning ordinances through the creative use of web-based technology such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and proprietary software. The intern will help develop ideas that solve the specific needs of planners by matching useful software tools to different phases of the comprehensive planning process. The intern will also be working on presentation methods for design guidelines and comprehensive plans. Minimal technical experience is required for this position, such as the ability to fill out an online form, navigate the web, and use search engines to perform research related tasks. SketchUp skills a plus.

Qualifications
The ideal intern will have graduate-level coursework in physical planning, economic development, and community participation/development. A clear understanding of the planning process is mandatory and over a year experience in urban planning or related profession is desired. He/She will also have strong interpersonal skills, ability to work independently, and conduct research about planning and technology topics.

About PlaceVision
Crystal Wilson, a 2002 CUPPA alumnus, founded PlaceVision to help urban planners and related fields communicate more effectively through web-based technology and interactive graphics. We are a technology firm that helps planners overcome technology hurdles. We provide training on how to get the most from popular graphics software and on how to use popular web applications to educate and encourage communities to participate in the plan making process.

How To Apply
Please send a cover letter and resume to Gloria via email Mag@placevision.net. Review of PlaceVision’s services and solutions at www.PlaceVision.net is highly encouraged. This is a paid position commensurate to qualifications.

"1968 Democratic National Convention - 40 Years Later" feature by WBEZ Chicago

Chicago Public Radio has complied a wonderful feature piece which highlights and remembers the events surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention here in Chicago. Interviews from police, protesters, and politicians illustrate the sentiment and many perspectives on this highly charged event in our city's history. I would highly recommend hitting the link and checking out this excellent multimedia feature. It really gives a complete snapshot of the mood of the city of Chicago during the convention.

Click for More

Job Opportunity: Planner/Editor at Index Publishing Corporation in Chicago, IL

Legal and Real Estate Publishing Company seeks Editor with GIS experience to manage GIS website and handle other editorial duties. Index Publishing publishes Chicago and County codes and ordinances as well as hosting several industry conferences throughout the year.

* BA in Urban Planning, Public Policy or allied field.
* Work experience for municipality and thorough knowledge of planning, development, zoning, etc.
* Proficient with ArcView; experience in GIS map development.
* Excellent writing and analytical skills
* Project management experience
* Proficiency with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), internet research
* Ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines

We offer a competitive salary and fringe benefits program.

Please send your cover letter, resume salary requirements and writing sample to us via e-mail (preferred) HR@lbpc.com, or by mail or fax to:

Law Bulletin Publishing Company
Attn: HR
415 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60610

Fax: 312-416-0021

Position open immediately.

Click for More

Events: Pedaling Ahead - Planning for Bicycle Transportation & Transit

September 6, 2008
1-2:30 pm

Cardinal Room, UIC Student Center East, 750 South Halsted Street

This informative session will provide the audience with an understanding of what constitutes good, effective municipal planning when it comes to developing transportation and transit plans that incorporate bicycles and the safety and access concerns of cyclists using roads, paths and other crossings for work and recreation.

Panelists & Moderator
Craig Williams, T Y Lin
Steven Vance, City of Chicago
Rob Sadowsky, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
Moderator: John O'Neal, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Click for More

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Events: Suburban Oasis

When:
Thursday August, 21st @ 12:15pm

Where:
Chicago Cultural Center 77 E. Randolph St.

What:
The modern shopping mall has a fascinating history that reaches back much farther than the car culture of the 1950s, when it became ubiquitous. It is also a phenomenon that is dying out. Join architectural historian Susan Benjamin as she takes you shopping from 19th Century Europe to New Town, USA, with some local stops along the way.

Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Snapshots series provides a monthly review of preservation issues with experts presenting talks on a specific subject. Question and answer sessions will follow each talk. The series takes place at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St., Chicago, on the third Thursday of every month at 12:15 p.m. The public is invited to attend; you need not be a member to participate. Admission is free.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Events: Preservation and Development in Chicago -The Delicate Balance

When:
Tue, Aug 26, 6pm – 8pm

Where:
The John Buck Company Lecture Hall at Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 South Michigan Avenue

Description:
Explore the issues that citizens, planners, governments, and developers face in preserving historic buildings while developing new ones. This course will outline the history of preservation in Chicago, types of landmarks, developers’ incentives, and design issues.

RSVP www.architecture.org or 312.922.3432 x224

INSTRUCTOR James L. Peters is the Director of Preservation Planning at Landmarks Illinois


Monday, August 11, 2008

Events: Walking Tour Creating Downtown in the Suburbs – The Burr Ridge Experience

The APA-Chicago Metro Section August program will feature a presentation and walking tour of Burr Ridge's Village Center. Come hear about Burr Ridge's efforts to convert a low density suburban office park into a mixed use, neo-traditional neighborhood. Please see the attached flyer for details.

SPEAKERS:
Aaron Cook – Village of Burr Ridge
Mayor Gary A. Grasso – Village of Burr Ridge
Doug Pollock, Burr Ridge Community Development Director
Darryl J. Strouse, Manager, Architecture - Opus Architects & Engineers, Inc.
Demetrios Stavrianos, Associate - RTKL

WHEN:
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Program: 3:00PM to 4:00PM (Registration begins at 2:15PM)
Presentations 4:00PM to 5:00PM
Walking Tour of Burr Ridge Village Center 5:00PM
Happy Hour at Coopers Hawk Winery & Restaurant.

WHERE:
Lake Ridge Pointe Venue & Conference Center,
1000 Burr Ridge Parkway, Burr Ridge, IL 60527

COST:
$15 paid at the door. Checks should be made payable to APA-CMS. The fee includes appetizers at Coopers Hawk.

RSVP: Please rsvp to apachicagometrosection@yahoo.com no later than Monday, August 18th. If you need to cancel your reservation, please do so no later than three days prior to the program.

QUESTIONS:
Please contact Aaron Cook at 630-654-8181 ext. 123 or acook@burr-ridge.gov for any questions regarding the program.

Job Opportunity: Transportation Planner in the City of Danville, IL

MPO Transportation Planner in the city of Danville, IL

Under supervision:
> to perform professional work in Transportation Planning;
> to coordinate activities and studies, including dissemination of information on all phases and promotion of transportation programs;
> to perform related duties as required;
> makes assigned investigations regarding transportation, public transit, ridesharing, and land use issues as they relate to studies and projects undertaken by the Danville Area Transportation Study;
> compiles and maintains statistical data on public transportation, streets and highways, rail transportation, transportation demand management and other transportation information;
> writes reports and memos;
> prepares charts and graphs;
> coordinates transportation demand management projects for City staff;
> makes presentations to the Transportation Board and City Council;
> represents the Transportation Planning Program at local and regional meetings.
Click for More Details

Friday, August 8, 2008

Internship: Building and Social Housing Foundation in UK

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an International Programme Intern, to work as part of the BSHF team in identifying innovative housing solutions worldwide and encouraging the exchange of information and good practice.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a relevant degree or qualification, a strong commitment to housing and development issues and a desire to develop their skills and experience.

The 12-month internship will provide an opportunity to gain practical research and work experience in a non-governmental organisation as well as build new skills and expertise through contributing to a broad range of housing and development-related activities.

Interns will receive a weekly stipend and BSHF will cover reasonable expenses for accommodation and travel to the UK.
Click for More

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Job Opportunity: Manitowoc, Wisconsin seeks Director for Redevelopment Project

Mainly Manitowoc is accepting applications for the position of full-time, salaried Executive Director. The director will be responsible for coordinating revitalization activities using the Main Street Four-Point Approach. Applicants should have education and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: historic preservation, planning, economic development, retailing, marketing, design, volunteer management, nonprofit management or small business development. The director must be entrepreneurial, energetic, well organized and able to work well with others as well as independently. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.

Bachelor’s degree is preferred but not required.

Please submit your resume and cover letter to Mainly Manitowoc Selection Committee, PO Box 845, Manitowoc, WI 54221-0845. Electronic submissions will not be accepted.

For questions please contact Mainly Manitowoc President Patti Roth at 920-482-3141.

Click for More

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Job Opportunity: City of Chicago, Research Associate in the Planning and Development Department

Job Number: 134636-A

Performs professional work as principle demographer for City of Chicago. Develops and maintains the City's standard data set that provides City Staff with a single consistent and accurate source of data for use in their work. Develops a plan for promoting City census activities, and ensures that City of Chicago's census data achieves a high level of accuracy. Provides briefings to City officials and staff on a regular basis regarding census activities and about implications of the census data. Maintains a public website with the census tract, block group and block coverage's to be used in the City's Demographic Information System for analysis, map production and display on the City's website. Develops redistricting scenarios and identifies potential issues for election districts in support of the City's redistricting efforts. Assembles and interprets data relating to demographics and economic statistics at state, regional an local government level. Develops and maintains data layers and determines methodologies for conducting demographic and economic spatial analysis using Geographic Information System. Performs independent work in the development and coordination of data analysis. Performs analyses of economic and demographic trends or other quantitative analyzes on a variety of subject areas. Prepares, edits, and presents technical reports and maps. Click for More

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Links: Chicago Matters, Growing Forward

Now in its 18th year, Chicago’s award-winning multimedia public-affairs series returns in 2008 with Chicago Matters: Growing Forward to examine how the choices we make today impact our environment and the future of our region.

Chicago Matters: Growing Forward will explore the fundamental ways we are connected through our region’s shared resources—the land we live on and the way we travel, the air we breathe and the water we drink, the food we eat and the waste we generate. We’ll take a critical look at emerging strategies for resource use and management at multiple levels—public, private and personal. As the region grows, who can best manage these resources—the city or state government? Private industry? Community organizations? How do we propose to maintain access to shared resources? What does going green mean to our region? How is it linked—in terms of our technologies, industries and day to day lives—to sustaining the current rate of growth in the region? Click for More

Monday, August 4, 2008

Assistantship: Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy






Graduate Accounting Assistantship

Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy. IRRPP seeks one 25% Graduate Assistant to help with accounting, financials and general. Qualifications: Graduate majoring in accounting or with undergrad degree in accounting or combination of training and experience, initiative, reliability and accountability. Prior accounting work experience is highly desirable.

Salary: monthly stipend plus tuition and service fee waiver. No tuition (college) differential or other fees are covered.

Duration: Nine month school year. Please send resume with cover letter to mtayala@uic.edu.
For further information about the Institute please visit our website.

News: "For Whom the Roads Toll" from Living on Earth

Source: Living on Earth

Americans are easing up on the gas as the price of gasoline remains high. It means shrinking funds in federal highway coffers. One of the ways Congress is considering raising the 1.6 trillion dollars needed to repair the nation’s transportation infrastructure is through tolls on federal roads. Host Bruce Gellerman speaks with the Wall Street Journal’s transportation reporter, Christopher Conkey. Click for the Story

Job Opportunity: Business Development Specialist in the City of Geneva, Illinois

The City of Geneva, Illinois has an immediate opening for a full-time Business Development Specialist in its Economic Development Department. This position is responsible for the preparation and implementation of economic development initiatives, plans, programs, and services. Click for More

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Planning Updates

Here are a list of planning updates:

Capital Plan. Yesterday, the Governor and the Illinois Works Coalition announced a revised $25 million capital plan. Click here for the press release


USDOT releases transportation authorization proposal. This week the U.S. Department of Transportation released a web link to "Refocus. Reform. Renew.: A NewTransportation Approach in America" - the Administration's plan, to overhaul the way U.S. transportation decisions and investments are made.

Cost of Congestion briefing. Don't forget the panel discussion of the Metropolitan Planning Council's imminent report titled "Moving at the Speed of Congestion." The event is at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5, in the Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Multi-Purpose Room, Lower Level, 400 S.State St., Chicago. Register online at www.metroplanning.org.

MPC save the date. In other MPC news, their 2008 Annual Meeting Luncheon will be held on Monday,September 8, 2008. The topic is "Metropolitan Mandate: How the Next President Will Maximize Metro Potential." Representatives of the two major party nominees for President of the United States will present their candidates' plans and priorities for solving the most urgent issues impeding the nation's regions and cities.

Location is the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive. The event is sponsored by National City Bank.

Hearing to address the proposed EJ&E acquisition by CN. CMAP has been asked to testify at an informal hearing hosted by Congressional Representatives Bean, Biggert, Foster, Manzullo and Roskam to address the impact of the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E by the Canadian National Railroad.
Local communities, municipal governments and state agencies have been asked to provide testimony on the impacts of the proposed transaction.

The hearing is on Tuesday, August 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, located on 219 South Dearborn Avenue, Suite 2525 in Chicago.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Events: Around Chicago This Weekend

Here's a list of things to do in Chicago this weekend and upcoming week, urban planning related and otherwise:

Big Picture: A New View of Painting in Chicago
Sunday, August 3rd is the last chance to see this exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. It's an overview of painting in Chicago from the 19th century to present.
Click for More

Graceland Cemetery Tour: Chicago Architectural Foundation
Sunday, August 3rd
Chicago’s past comes alive in monuments designed by noted sculptors and architects including Daniel Chester French, Lorado Taft, and Louis Sullivan. Many famous figures from Chicago’s social, political, and architectural history are buried in this park-like cemetery. Many notables involved in planning the Columbian Exposition ( featured in the book Devil in the White City) rest here. $5 dollars for students. Click for More


Moving at the Speed of Congestion: The True Costs of Traffic in the Chicago Metropolitan Area
On Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008, the Metropolitan Planning Council will release a new, groundbreaking report, Moving at the Speed of Congestion, that identifies the actual cost of congestion in our region, and provides an analysis of its global, regional and individual effects. An expert panel will respond to a presentation of the report's findings. Click for More


RTA hosts public hearings
August 4 - August 14
From August 4 to 14, the RTA will host 13 public hearings to share progress on implementing new transit legislation, the 2009 budget outlook, an update on RTA's strategic plan, and the critical need for capital investment. This outreach precedes the beginning of the RTA's budget process, and another round of hearings will be held later in the year before their 2009 budget is finalized. Click for More

News: 1 Year since Minnesota bridge collapse

Source: NPR Morning Edition

One year ago Friday in Minnesota's Twin Cities, the Interstate 35 West bridge crumbled into the Mississippi River, killing 13 and injuring 140 people. Accelerated construction of a new bridge is almost complete. Tom Weber reports from Minnesota Public Radio. Click for More