Caitlin Ghoshal's blog

CNU Illinois and the Congress for the New Urbanism joined a coalition of 15 regional organizations to release a civic platform for the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive. The coalition calls for a bold vision to better meet the needs of everyone who uses the lakefront. The platform is based on seven principles and includes a host of recommendations for the Illinois Department of Transportation and Chicago Department of Transportation as they embark on a planning study for the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive from Grand to Hollywood avenues.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) plans to expand the Circle Interchange, an interchange at the confluence of the Dan Ryan, Kennedy and Eisenhower Expressways (Interstates 90/94 and 290), and Congress Parkway in Chicago. IDOT is proposing to construct three flyover ramps as part of their four year, $450 million dollar improvement plan. Two ramps will go over Harrison Street (west of Halsted and just east of South Des Plaines Street). Another ramp will go over Halsted Street (south of Van Buren Street) and will divide the Greektown neighborhood.

Students for the New Urbanism at Arizona State University placed wayfinding signs in the Mill Avenue Districts located in downtown Tempe. The group formed in fall 2012 and has attracted both graduate and undergraduate students from urban planning, environmental science, landscape architecture. According to member Daniel Barusch, “The benefit for us is we’re not just on here going to classes, doing boring student stuff,” he said.

LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors will host an online webinar to discuss the Environmental Protection Agency's forthcoming regulations on stormwater management. The webinar features Nancy Stoner, Acting Assistant Administrator of the EPA's Water Office, who will discuss the forthcoming proposal and answer questions. This event is free but registration is required.

The webinar will be held on May 1 at 1 PM EDT. More details and registration is located here.

The Niagara Gorge Rim is home to miles of stunning scenery and breathtaking natural features, attracting millions of visitors each year. Only there’s one thing in the way of the view: a freeway.

Free and open to the public. RSVP by clicking here.

In a special Fireside Chat with John Norquist, Chuck Marohn gives listeners a special preview to CNU 21. Marohn is Executive Director of Strong Towns, the host of the "Curbside Chat" podcast, and author of Thoughts on Building Strong Towns (Volume 1). Through his work with Strong Towns, Marohn has been exposing the "ponzi scheme of sprawl" by exploring the connection between land use and finance.

Re-Thinking Our Streets: The Value of Flexible Street Design with John Norquist

Free and open to the public.

The event will be held on Thursday, November 29, 2012 starting with a 6 PM reception followed by a 6:30 PM lecture and discussion. Event will be held at Steinberg Hall Auditorium at Washington University at Forsyth Blvd and N Skinker Blvd, St. Louis, MO. The nearest Metrolink Station is Skinker.

Space is limited. Please click here to RSVP.

A recent article in the Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine documents the transformation of Claiborne Avenue from a "mid-20th century linear park" to an elevated, limited access freeway. Author John T. Magill delves into the history of the avenue to show how its construction into a highway opened up the eyes of residents to freeways' devastation on the urban fabric. One resident wrote in 1967: "New Orleans must not become a hell of ugliness, a dead city, like that civic blight on N. Claiborne.