Maybe housing wonks are just having a hard time with our issue being in the spotlight? The build to rent issue is not ideal, but not a big deal. Relax! OTOH the Build Now Act housing improvement rate formula is nonsense.
Getting rained on does something very interesting to the stone veneer on the Obama Presidential Center!
I am literally in this one.
This was on CDOT's list of improvements planned for 2024 and is still labeled "upcoming".
Of all the major cities in the United States, Chicago provides the greatest value, with robust amenities and culture without correlated housing costs. But if Chicago wants to retain that status, some things need to change.
op-ed by me, Stef, and Jasmine (co-leads for @abundanthousingil.bsky.social)
I just used the new Wabash lanes this morning (so great!) and sent this email to Dowell.
But...that will vary a lot by neighborhood. In yimbytopia the most distressed areas, esp in softer markets like Chicago, will likely suffer as better neighborhoods become more accessible. Will require more public investment in neighborhood revitalization.
Very important question. I think things will change slowly even if policy change is dramatic. It takes time to build. Developers will move in fits and starts. Market prices will converge on production costs. So ownership will be less lucrative but values won't go down, generally.
Some news: tomorrow at 9am, Ted Koppel + CBS Sunday Morning will air a two-part story on the devastating surge of full-time workers being pushed into homelessness.
I'll be interviewed along with two families from There Is No Place for Us. It would mean a lot if you'd watch and help spread the word.
Halloween in a walkable neighborhood is life affirming
A lot of interesting stuff here from @housingstudies.bsky.social, but here's an [eyes emoji] one: Chicago has gained 176,000 households between 2012 and 2023, growing from almost exactly 1 million to 1.18 million housingstudies.org/blog/rental-...
I think I have the same one! Yeah, the touch buttons are extremely annoying. But when I bought mine it was like half the cost of models with knobs.
I went for a walk yesterday around 2-3 pm looking for ICE activity. Down 53rd, and the area between 53, 55, Woodlawn, and Lake Park. Didn't see anything unusual.
Are there reports of ICE activity in Hyde Park or Woodlawn? Chopper keeps circling low over the Midway and it's making me suspicious.
Federal Agents Confirmed And Hyde Park Good morning, The safety of our students is my top priority. I am writing to notify our community that ICE presence has been verified in the Hyde Park community. They have been active on 53rd street and close to the school. We are instructing students who go outside for off-campus lunch today to please exercise caution. They are to go out in groups and not engage any federal officer. They are not to talk to them. However, if they try to talk to students, we are instructing them to say, "I do not have to speak with you." as an extra precaution, teachers and staff are voluntarily walking around with admin and security during their lunches and planning periods to monitor students. Please contact us with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Principal Calloway
Email from Kenwood HS admin reports confirmed ICE this morning in Hyde Park (along 53rd, and near Kenwood hs, which is at 51st/Blackstone).
Be alert, keep your whistle on hand: quick blasts for a sighting, 3 long blasts for someone getting detained. BE LOUD. Gather a crowd. Record if you can.
That said... I don't love taxing big businesses because they can leave the city. Far better to tax residents, those of us benefitting directly from fed tax cuts. Residents can also leave but the risk is more concentrated with businesses.
When the fed govt pulls back, city govt needs to step up. Increasing taxes is always hard, but wealthy people have gotten a windfall from OBBBA. My own fed taxes will go down ~$10k. Chicago should seize this opportunity.
chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/20...
Seems like the key issue is how important proximity to downtown is, and what kind of neighborhood you want to highlight. I wouldn't worry too much about the food. But Chicago has better Mexican than DC so I'll say Pilsen. Maybe 5 Rabanitos.
I hadn't seen that study yet. It's a nice application of synthetic control. Thanks for writing about it!
What do you mean by #1? This is the first I've heard of them planning RIFs for the new FY.
Congrats to Tonika Johnson on a well deserved MacArthur genius grant! The folded map project is incredibly powerful, and her book Don't Go (with Maria Krysan) is outstanding. chicago.suntimes.com/art/2025/10/...
East Garfield Park
Chicago, Illinois
You recommend it? Of the abundance related books of the past year I've read Abundance and Why Nothing Works, wasn't sure if it would be worthwhile to also read Stuck (and Demsas's book of essays).
This is a nice working paper showing that traffic noise creates a pretty large externality. Near major roads, people are willing to pay ~6-10% more for homes after a sound barrier is built.
They estimate that traffic noise has an aggregate externality of $110 billion!
Wrong link?
So many people worked so hard for a real ADU reform. This ain't it. If a bill passes 46-0 maybe it compromised a bit too hard.
Agree. This is not a serious pro-housing policy. Very disappointing.
