This Saturday: Tour of Brownfields on the South Side of Chicago!

MUPPS,

Come join UPPSA on Saturday, June 27th at 1:00 P.M. in the afternoon as we are led by Jim Van der Kloot, Land Revitalization Coordinator for the EPA, Region 5, through various brownfield sites on the south side of Chicago. This event will be hosted in conjunction with planning students visiting from the University of Amsterdam. A meeting location has yet to be determined, but expect to use public transit to get to and from the brownfield sites. Afterwards, we plan on going to a local bar or restaurant to mingle with our Dutch counterparts. Keep your eyes peeled for more details to come!

Date/Time: Saturday, June 27th at 1:00 PM

Location: TBD, but a tentative idea is to meet somewhere in/around the Lake Calumet area.

Cost: Nothing. Just the cost of public transport to/from/around the brownfield sites. Plan on bringing some extra cash if you'd like to join us at an area bar or restaurant thereafter with the students from the University of Amsterdam.

Event: APA-CMS June Program: Transportation and the Environment

AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION – CHICAGO METRO SECTION
Invites you to attend the
APA-CMS JUNE 2009 PROGRAM

Transportation and the Environment: New Initiatives

The Yin and Yang of transportation infrastructure and environmental systems can and should be balanced. As the environmental, planning, and engineering professions evolve, there are fewer and fewer technical or financial needs requiring the sacrifice of one for the other. Indeed, there are more and more benefits to balance being discovered. This program offers planners a series of local examples of current efforts to strike this balance.

SPEAKERS:
Rocco Zucchero and Angela LaPorte, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority—
Will provide an overview of the North Tri-State Bioswales Project, the Hines Emerald Dragonfly Habitat Restoration Project and other environmental efforts.

Mark DeVries, McHenry County Division of Transportation—Will provide an overview of roadway salt monitoring programs in the region.

Tunde Balvanyos, PhD., Pace BRT Coordinator, Pace Suburban Bus—Will provide an overview of the Pace Arterial Rapid Transit (ART) program.

WHEN:
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Registration & Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Program: 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Illinois Tollway Central Administration Building
2700 Ogden Avenue
Downers Grove, IL 60515
NOTE: Photo ID required. Enter at east entrance. Park in north parking lot. Building is directly east of I-355/Ogden Avenue interchange.

• From southbound 355 or eastbound 88, exit at Ogden Avenue. Turn left at end of ramp. Turn left on Authority Dr. to north parking lot.
• From northbound 355, exit at Ogden Avenue. Turn right at end of ramp. Turn left on Authority Dr. to north parking lot.
• From westbound 88, exit to 355 South, Then take first exit at Ogden Avenue. Turn left at end of ramp. Turn left on Authority Dr. to north parking lot.

COST:
$15 paid at the door, $5 fee for students who RSVP by June 18, 2009. The session fee is payable at registration and checks should be made payable to “APA-CMS”. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP:
Please email apachicagometrosection@yahoo.com by Thursday, June 18, 2009. If you need to cancel your reservation, please do so no later than three days prior to the program.

QUESTIONS:
For questions regarding the program agenda, please contact Greg Dreyer from ISTHA at (630) 241-6800 x3839 or gdreyer@getipass.com. AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits (2) are pending.

Event: Bike Tour of Chicago's Near South Side

Bike Tour of Chicago's Near South Side
Saturday June 13, 2009

Starting at 10 am at UIC

Take a bike tour of Chicago's near south side! Professor Curt Winkle from UIC's Urban Planning & Policy program will lead a tour of Little Italy, Pilsen, Little Village and Chinatown by bike for those interested in Chicago history, biking and stopping for ice cream.

When: Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:00 AM
Where: Starting and ending at UIC. We are limited to a group of 25 & will advise the exact start location when you RSVP.

Please RSVP to Kmonahan@uic.edu

Length: Moderately Easy 20 mile ride in 4 hours with a few stops for lecture & ice cream.
Rain: No Rain Date. We go unless it's really pouring.

Questions: contact Beth Sholtis bsholt2@uic.edu
Organized by Beth Sholtis, Curt Winkle, Kevin Monahan
Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and the College of Cycling

Please wear a helmet.
Please bring your lock.

Welcome New UPPSA Board!

Please join me in welcoming the new UPPSA Board for 2009-10!

Jennessa Berg: Secretary
Katie Bowman: Vice-President
Valbona Kokoshi: APA Representative
Jason Saavedra: President
Annie Shim: Chief Activities Officer (New Position)
Mike Sobczak: Treasurer
Andy Waggoner: Professional Development Officer (New Position)

Officers begin their one-year term on June 1. The positions of Secretary, Treasurer, Professional Development Officer, and Chief Activities Officer will not officially be filled until the elected board members vote on their nomination during the first Board Meeting, which will take place within the next few weeks. However, there are no obstacles foreseen in their approval. An additional position (1st Year APA Representative) will be filled through appointment from the new students in the Fall.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the previous Board and all of those who volunteered on working groups over the past year. They really laid the groundwork for a lot of the things we are planning for next year, and they have been extremely supportive during the transition. I trust that they will all continue to be involved, so don't worry - this is not a good-bye!

Please stay tuned for information about some fun activities to celebrate the warm weather! Also, in case you haven't visited the UPPSA blog in a while (http://uppsa.blogspot.com/), please do so! We are making an effort to include lots of interesting and meaningful postings and events to take up your time throughout the summer. If you are interested in being a contributor to the blog, please contact us to express your interest.

The entire UPPSA Board looks forward to representing you and serving your needs. Please contact any of us with your thoughts, concerns, ideas, complaints, and even compliments!

Regards,

Jason Saavedra

Event: Partners in Change 2009 - Delta Institute

Please join the Delta Institute where the Economy and the Environment meet at Partners in Change 2009. Come hear special guest speakers Governor Pat Quinn on how government can help businesses thrive in the green economy and Joel Makower on the emerging green economy in the Great Lakes region.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PARTNERS IN CHANGE 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza
Sauganash Grand Ballroom
350 West Mart Center Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60654

Post Event Cocktails at 8:30
Cityscape Bar, 15th floor Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza

PURCHASE TICKETS

Tickets are $125 each
As a Special Offer, purchase Delta Carbon Offsets for $5 a ton (regular price $8)

BECOME A SPONSOR
Opportunities range from $2,500-$15,000

Contributions are tax deductible to the extent the law will allow.

For more information:
Victor Couto
vcouto@delta-institute.org

(312) 554-0900 ext. 10

For sponsorship information:
Joe Skvara

jskvara@delta-institute.org
(312) 554-0900 ext. 22

Where are they now?: Marlana Brown

Marlana Brown has a fascinating job in the California desert as an Encroachment Planner with an environmental consulting company called Marstel-Day LLC. (http://www.marstel-day.com/) based out of Fredericksburg, VA but with offices at several locations. She works at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC, http://www.29palms.usmc.mil/) in Twentynine Palms, CA which is about three hours drive from Los Angeles and focuses on compatible land use developments, community relations, and economic development analysis. MCAGCC is a 24/7 live-fire military base for Marines training for Afghanistan and Iraq. Her job is to work with the surrounding communities to ensure that any subsequent developments do not conflict with the Marines' ability to "train as they fight." She has used almost every aspect of her Urban Planning Degree including Land Use Planning, Economics, Development Finance and Physical Planning. In Marlana's words, "Through my experience as the Treasurer of UPPSA (2007-2008), I gained strength in budget management, leadership and organization. I truly believe that this experience added to my ability to secure gainful employment within months after obtaining my MUPP."

UPPSA elections for the 2009-2010 academic year are around the corner! Remember to take a look at the UPPSA Constitution for position descriptions. Watch your email for more details or ask an UPPSA board member.

Highways To Boulevards

America's twentieth century highway building era included elevated freeways which cut huge swaths across our cities, decimating neighborhoods and reducing quality of life for city residents. This massive concrete infrastructure had devastating effects on urban economies. It blighted adjacent property and pushed access to basic amenities further out. With the Federal and State Departments of Transportation confronting shrinking budgets and cities looking for ways to increase their revenues, it is an ideal time to offer less expensive, urban alternatives to the reconstruction of urban expressways. New York City, Portland, San Francisco, Milwaukee and Seoul, South Korea have confronted this problem by replacing elevated highways with boulevards, saving billions of dollars and increasing real estate values on adjacent land.


Website: http://www.cnu.org/highways
Source: Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)

Traffic: How We Drive

Balancing the flow of traffic, the desire for people to move great distances quickly and the need maintain an urban fabric that serves all people, pedestrians, skateboarders, bicyclists, and the like, is an important part of planning. Author Tom Vanderbilt keeps a blog of interesting tidbits relating to the psychology of driving and how it affects the human experience in cities.

Most posts relate to his book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), though many relate to the urban planning. It's worth a look if the mesh between traffic flow and physical environment interests you.

To read more: http://www.howwedrive.com/

Chicago Tonight talks with author of new book, "Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide"

"Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide" via Chicago Tonight

Chicago Tonight takes a historical ride through local neighborhoods with Chicago expert, Ann Durkin Keating as she talks about some of the areas featured in her newest book "Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide."

For those in UPP505/506, they talk briefly about the history of Blue Island.

Watch the clip at WTTW Chicago Tonight

For more on Ann Durkin Keating's book check out the University of Chicago Press

Urban Renewal Redux in Bronzeville

As the city of Chicago continues its quest to land the 2016 Olympics, many who’ve worked hard to rejuvenate the Bronzeville community into a hub of African-American history and commerce now fear the city’s Olympics plans will push them out. And some say it’s an ugly déjà vu.

To read more:
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=31434


Sidenote: UPPSA's next TOD (Feb. 20th) will be in Bronzevilee.