Chicago
30 articles
How Chicago's Community-Led Organizations Build Local Power—and How North Lawndale Cut Recidivism Below 10%
Community-led organizations in Chicago build local power by treating civic engagement as a daily practice. The North Lawndale Employment Network exemplifies this, achieving a recidivism rate below 10% through integrated support programs.
How Wicker Park and Buckton's Rat Birth Control Program Works—and How It Compares to Chicago's Poison Baiting
Chicago's Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood is piloting a community-led rat birth control program using SenesTech's Evolve, offering an alternative to the city's traditional poison baiting methods. The article explains how this fertility control program works, its reported early success, and how it compares to the city's extermination approach, emphasizing IPM principles.
How Community Land Trusts Create Lasting Affordable Housing in Chicago
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) create lasting affordable housing in Chicago by separating land ownership from home ownership, ensuring homes remain affordable across generations. The city features two main CLT approaches: a citywide municipal trust and neighborhood-based organizations, each addressing affordability at different scales.
What is Gentrification and Why Does it Displace Communities?
Between 2000 and 2019, 25% of Black residents left Chicago due to factors including school closures, the demolition of public housing, increased policing, and a lack of essential resources, according
Community Participation Alone Won't Deliver Equitable Urban Development in 2026.
Residents living near the $9 billion Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park were not invited to its groundbreaking ceremony, let alone consulted on its planning, according to the Chicago Tribune .
Chicago braces for extreme heat index near 100 degrees
Chicago faces three consecutive days with a heat index peaking between 100-105 degrees, a level the National Weather Service classifies as an Extreme Heat Warning.
Court Appoints Receiver for Golub Mag Mile Office Property
A Cook County judge has appointed Scott Shefman as receiver for the 625 North Michigan Avenue office building, jointly owned by Golub & Co.
Damen Silos owner builds unauthorized parking lot, violating city code
The owner of the Damen Silos site was recently cited for operating an unauthorized parking lot, built without a submitted stormwater management plan—a basic requirement for urban development, accordin
Mayor's $3B Parking Meter Bid Tops Investor Offer
Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration reportedly offered $3.
Candyland Prom returns, celebrating Chicago's LGBTQ+ youth
Prom King Macario Meza, Prom Queer Moon, and Prom Queen Iselle Jiménez were honored in Little Village, Chicago, as the 'Candyland' themed prom celebrated LGBTQ+ youth in 2026.
Chicago activists demand new department to reduce gun violence
Chicago is buzzing with a bold new proposal!
Chicago Invests $27 Million in Logan Square Traffic Circle Redesign
For $27 million, Logan Square's iconic traffic circle has been transformed, rerouting major avenues and creating nearly an acre of new public park space.
Bronzeville Trail project launches with soil testing
Environmental soil testing has begun at the abandoned rail site, officially launching the $100 million Bronzeville Trail project.
City Council Approves Mixed-Use Development at 3240 W Lawrence
In a city often defined by its car culture, Chicago's City Council just approved a 26-unit residential development in Albany Park with zero car parking spaces!
Obama Center boosts Chicago South Side real estate, council acts
In East Woodlawn, single-family and multifamily home prices doubled between 2019 and 2025, reaching a median of $440,000, according to The Real Deal .
Missing City Hall Artwork From Lightfoot Aide's Office
A painting by artist Bill Cass, valued between $500 and $1,000 and owned by Chicago taxpayers, has vanished from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's chief operating officer's City Hall office.
ICE Detains Street Vendor After Police Ticketed Her
After Chicago police ticketed street vendor Norma Salazar Perdomo for operating without a license on May 5, she was subsequently detained by ICE.
Chicago Fans Cheer World Cup 2026 Games at Recess
From a German-American cultural center in Ravenswood to a historic theater in Bridgeport, Chicago's neighborhoods are transforming into vibrant hubs for World Cup viewing parties.
Common's Obama Center Freestyle Honors Fred Hampton, Harold Washington
At the grand opening finale of the Obama Presidential Center, rapper Common delivered a surprise freestyle, name-dropping Chicago radical Fred Hampton alongside former presidents Joe Biden and George
Obama Center Opening Celebration Events Kick Off June 18 2026
Barack Obama appeared to wipe away a tear during the grand opening of his Presidential Center in Chicago, an emotional moment witnessed by a global array of dignitaries and former presidents.
Obama Center opens, celebrating a new landmark for Chicago
As Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled their presidential center in Chicago on June 18, 2026, local runner Joabe Barbosa, 42, completed his 100th consecutive marathon.
Chicago braces for severe weather after confirmed Illinois tornadoes
Over 150,000 ComEd customers woke up Friday morning without power across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, a direct consequence of at least 17 confirmed tornadoes that ripped through the region
Joabe Barbosa First Known to Run Every Chicago Block
After nearly two years and more than 5,000 miles, 25-year-old Joabe Barbosa became the first person known to have run every single street in Chicago.
CPS grad Destiny Singleton heads to Stanford, overcoming ICE hurdles
Destiny Singleton, who once spoke to the Chicago school board about the trauma of mass immigration arrests, is now headed to Stanford University!
Marian R. Byrnes Park Reopens with New Features for Birding Enthusiasts
On June 13, 2026, Chicago's Far South Side will unveil a transformed Marian R. Byrnes Park.
Chicago Area Sees 17 Severe West Nile Virus Cases
Illinois has reported its first human West Nile virus-related death in 2023: an individual in their 90s from suburban Cook County, confirmed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (dph) .
Wrigleyville neighbors accept Mumford & Sons concert
A Mumford & Sons concert at Wrigley Field blasted past its 11 p.
Southwest Side homes, businesses lose power amid severe storms
In Stickney, a single condo building was ravaged by Wednesday's storms, leaving roughly 30 residents suddenly homeless, according to ABC7 Chicago .
Chicago area hit by confirmed tornadoes, severe storms
In suburban Bartlett, a confirmed tornado toppled gas pumps at a BP station at 7:55 p.m.
Beverly PFLAG chapter strengthens Pride events after vandalism
In June 2024, a Pride banner at Beverly Unitarian Church was torn down and burned, a stark act of vandalism just as the community prepared for its fourth annual South Side Family Pride festival.