MPC's 2012 Plan for Prosperity: Innovative Solutions for the New Normal identifies 10 policy, planning and development reforms MPC is pursuing in 2012. Today's excerpt falls under our policy agenda's "rethink investment" section, which identifies ways to support people with fresh ideas — including neighborhood business owners, community planners, and government agencies — who are rethinking the way we invest in people, communities and infrastructure, right here in metropolitan Chicago. MPC is supporting and learning from these trailblazers, and sharing their stories with the right decision makers to change policies and clear the path toward reinvestment.
The following excerpt highlights the need for stronger incentives for green infrastructure development to manage…
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Throughout January and February, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is curating a blog series on vacant properties in metropolitan Chicago. In the coming weeks, MPC's blog, The Connector — as well as the web sites of some of our partners — will feature posts from elected and appointed officials, policy advocates, finance experts, and others about the many ways we are all working together to get a handle on this growing regional and national housing and community development challenge. The opinions expressed in these posts do not necessarily reflect MPC's opinion.
The following post is an invitation from the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development and Dept. of Building and Zoning to a workshop for municipalities on Cook's Vacant Building Ordinance, which will take…
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By Dory Rand, President, Woodstock Institute- January 20, 2012
Throughout January and February, MPC’s blog, The Connector, is running a series on vacant properties in metropolitan Chicago. In the coming weeks, the blog will feature guests posts from elected and appointed officials, policy advocates, finance experts, and others about the many ways we are all working together to get a handle on this growing regional and national challenge. Follow the series at www.metroplanning.org/vacantproperties.
Policymakers, nonprofits, planners, researchers, and financial institutions are putting their heads together to try and diminish the negative impacts that vacant properties have on their surrounding neighborhoods. The ordinances passed by the Chicago City Council and the Board of Commissioners of Cook County are two examples of the creative…
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This week, MPC released its 2012 Plan for Prosperity: Innovative Solutions for the New Normal, which identifies 10 policy, planning and development reforms MPC is pursuing in 2012. Today's excerpt falls under our policy agenda's "reward efficiency" section, which is all about supporting collaboration that results in efficient and effective redevelopment strategies -- whether that's collaboration between the public and private sector, collaboration among distinct but related government agencies, or collaboration among neighboring communities to solve a shared development challenge. Our reasoning is simple: The more Chicagoland acts with shared purpose, the more the region will collectively benefit from new economic activity – something we can all agree deserves more effort.
The…
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Eric Allix Rogers (flickr)
By Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer- January 19, 2012
Throughout January and February, MPC’s blog, The Connector, is running a series on vacant properties in metropolitan Chicago. In the coming weeks, the blog will feature guests posts from elected and appointed officials, policy advocates, finance experts, and others about the many ways we are all working together to get a handle on this growing regional and national challenge. The opinions expressed in these posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of MPC. Follow the series at www.metroplanning.org/vacantproperties.
On Dec. 14, 2011, I introduced and received unanimous support from my colleagues on the Cook County Board and President Toni Preckwinckle to pass the Cook County Vacant Building Ordinance. This ordinance is the first step for the County to be a part of the solution…
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