Perspectives
Thirty-five years ago, Harold Washington changed what Chicago’s mayor could be
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When he started his first term in 1983, the city’s first black mayor brought a new approach to governing by refusing to play the boss.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
School closing and opening pattern shows Chicago doesn’t have a plan
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An ideological agenda for more “school choice” seems to be driving the district’s actions rather than what’s needed on the ground.
Economic Development
Obama library heightens debate over promise and peril of development
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Given Woodlawn’s history, neighborhood organizers want to ensure the presidential center will benefit black residents, not displace them.
Empty Schools, Empty Promises
Closed schools could remain vacant without public subsidy
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Developers buying shuttered Chicago schools face stiff competition for tax credits that make their repurposing plans viable.
Empty Schools, Empty Promises
What happened to the closed school in your neighborhood?
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This interactive map tracks the status of the Chicago public schools still empty after mass closures in 2013, providing details on which have been sold and repurposed and which have yet to be reused.
Empty Schools, Empty Promises
As closed schools go up for sale, transparency issues persist
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At Chicago Public Schools’ first meeting with potential buyers, up-to-date information on the buildings remains hard to come by.
Empty Schools, Empty Promises
In Kansas City, a lesson in transforming closed schools
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Both Chicago and Kansas City carried out mass school closures in poor, black neighborhoods, but they had vastly different approaches to repurposing them.
Empty Schools, Empty Promises
Behind sale of closed schools, a legacy of segregation
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Four years after mass school closures on the South and West sides, the district dashes community’s say in repurposing the vacant buildings.
Beyond 95th Street
Red Line extension aims to improve transit and development on the Far South Side
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The long-awaited expansion of the “L” could mitigate the impact of historic policies that fueled segregation and disinvestment in black communities.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
Demand for community control of police oversight isn’t going away
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For many, the credibility of Chicago’s new police accountability system hinges on creating a community board.