Chicago’s Reform Test: Stairs, Schools and a $7B West Side Build

Description

Chicago City Hall is weighing single-stair apartment buildings to lower construction costs, while Illinois’ budget adds $350 million for K-12 and the school board ballot faces signature challenges. On the West Side, the $7 billion 1901 Project has officially broken ground. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Is One Way Out Enough? City Considers Building Code Change To Address Housing Shortage [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/04/is-one-way-out-enough-city-considers-building-code-change-to-address-housing-shortage/] — Block Club Chicago # Is One Way Out Enough? City Considers Building Code Change To Address Housing Shortage Author: Quinn Myers Published: 2026-06-04T21:57:26+00:00 Source: blockclubchicago.org (blockclubchicago.org) Language: en ## Story Is One Way Out Enough? City Considers Building Code Change To Address Housing Shortage A row of two- and three-flat homes in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. Credit: Colin… 2. Step Back — Wait — how can a rule about whether an apartment building needs one stairwell or two make or break Chicago’s ability to build more housing? What’s the real safety-versus-affordability tradeoff here, and how have other cities handled it? BACKGROUND SOURCES * Is One Way Out Enough? City Considers Building Code Change To Address Housing Shortage [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/04/is-one-way-out-enough-city-considers-building-code-change-to-address-housing-shortage/] — Quinn Myers * Single-stair rule change could boost housing: op-ed - Crain's Chicago Business [https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/city-that-works/ccb-a-city-that-works-staircase-rules-20260508/] — Chicagobusiness * Expanding Single-Stair Housing Can Improve Housing Supply, Quality, and Safety | Mercatus Center [https://www.mercatus.org/research/state-testimonies/expanding-single-stair-housing-can-improve-housing-supply-quality-and] — Mercatus Center * How a Single Stairway Can Take Affordable Housing to a New Level [https://www.planning.org/planning/2025/nov/how-a-single-stairway-can-take-affordable-housing-to-a-new-level/] — Planning * One Stair Or Two?: The Building Codes Shaping Cost, Safety, And Housing Supply | ACE [https://ace-usa.org/blog/research/research-housing-policy/one-stair-or-two-the-building-codes-shaping-shaping-cost-safety-and-housing-supply/] — ACE * CT lawmakers to repeal 2024 single-stair building code change [https://ctmirror.org/2026/02/25/ct-building-code-single-stair-exit-apartments/] — Ginny Monk * California’s “single stair” report is out. Regulators don’t love the idea - CalMatters [https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/03/single-stair-report-california-lee/] — Ben Christopher 3. Illinois’ state budget is out. How did public schools fare? - Chalkbeat [https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/06/04/illinois-state-budget-increases-money-for-schools-and-students/] — Chalkbeat # Illinois’ state budget is out. How did public schools fare? - Chalkbeat Author: By Makiya Seminera | June 4, 2026, 9:17pm UTC Published: 2026-06-04T21:17:09.194000+00:00 Source: chalkbeat.org (chalkbeat.org) Language: en ## Story Illinois’ state budget is out. How did public schools fare? - Chalkbeat Skip to main content # Here’s how much education funding is in Illinois’ FY27 state… 4. Petition signatures for 28 Chicago school board candidates face scrutiny - Chalkbeat [https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/06/04/chicago-school-board-candidates-face-petition-challenges/] — Chalkbeat # Petition signatures for 28 Chicago school board candidates face scrutiny - Chalkbeat Author: | June 4, 2026, 4:31pm UTC Published: 2026-06-04T16:31:47.028000+00:00 Source: chalkbeat.org (chalkbeat.org) Language: en ## Story Petition signatures for 28 Chicago school board candidates face scrutiny - Chalkbeat Skip to main content # Dozens of Chicago school board candidates could get knocked… 5. 1901 Project breaks ground, promising West Side neighborhood transformation - AOL [https://www.aol.com/news/1901-project-breaks-ground-promising-225421197.html] — WGN-TV 1901 Project breaks ground, promising West Side neighborhood transformation - AOL Wed, June 3, 2026 at 10:54 PM UTC 0 CHICAGO (WGN) — Developers broke ground on the new 1901 Project on Wedneday as work now rolls full speed ahead. It's a move that could transform the neighborhood surrounding the United Center on the city's West Side. With golden shovels in hand, Wednesday's groundbreaking for… Daily TopFive for Chicago Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Chicago Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chicago-daily-fix/id1895649620] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/70Xl3C6mvct6Wif5EAvxay]. Feedback? Email chicago-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [chicago-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].

Permits, Speeders, Meters: Chicago’s Accountability Tests — June 29, 2026

Chicago’s Damen Silos site faces city code violations over an unauthorized parking lot, while Illinois moves to rein in repeat speeders and City Hall’s parking-meter buyback questions keep the focus on who controls public space. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Damen Silos Owner Built Unauthorized Parking Lot, Violating City Code, City Says [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/26/damen-silos-owner-built-unauthorized-parking-lot-violating-city-code-city-says/] — Block Club Chicago MCKINLEY PARK — A parking lot on the former Damen Silos site was built without authorization and in violation of city rules, city officials said Friday. Michael Tadin Jr., owner of the property at 2900 S. Damen Ave., received a violation letter Friday after a June 18 city inspection of the site, according to the city. The former home of the Damen Silos was quietly paved over and turned into a… 2. Step Back — Chicago’s parking meter deal is already shorthand for a bad bargain — so if City Hall is really talking about a multibillion-dollar buyback, what would taxpayers actually be buying back: revenue, control of the curb, freedom from penalties, or something else? BACKGROUND SOURCES * Chicago Won’t Buy Back Parking Meters, Johnson Says | Chicago News | WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2026/01/20/chicago-won-t-buy-back-parking-meters-johnson-says] — WTTW * Who owns Chicago's parking meters? City's meters sold to another private company, Mayor Brandon Johnson says - ABC7 Chicago [https://abc7chicago.com/post/owns-chicagos-parking-meters-citys-sold-another-private-company-mayor-brandon-johnson-says/18439639/] — Abc7chicago * Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson considering purchase to bring parking meters back under city control, sources tell ABC7 Chicago - ABC7 Chicago [https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-considering-purchase-bring-parking-meters-back-city-control-sources-tell-abc7/18417731/] — Abc7chicago * Chicago parking meters up for sale, but Johnson urged to proceed carefully on potential buyback - WBEZ Chicago [https://www.wbez.org/government-politics/2026/01/19/chicago-parking-meters-up-for-sale-johnson-buy-back] — Wbez * Chicago reportedly bid $3.3B to buy back parking meters, aldermen demand answers | FOX 32 Chicago [https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-reportedly-bid-3-b-buy-back-parking-meters-aldermen-demand-answers] — Bret Buganski * A sale of Chicago’s parking meters could occur, but what would it mean? – NBC Chicago [https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/how-would-a-sale-of-chicagos-parking-meters-affect-drivers/3938189/] — Nbcchicago * Chicago is not buying back its parking meters, but a change in ownership is likely – NBC Chicago [https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-is-not-buying-back-its-parking-meters-but-a-change-in-ownership-is-likely/3878768/] — Nbcchicago 3. Pritzker signed “Stop Super Speeders” law, which will allow repeat offenders to drive if they use technology that forces them to obey posted speed limit [https://chi.streetsblog.org/2026/06/27/pritzker-signed-stop-super-speeders-law-which-will-allow-repeat-offenders-to-drive-if-they-use-technology-that-forces-them-to-obey-posted-speed-limit] — Streetsblog Chicago This post is sponsored by Boulevard Bikes. On May 21, the Active Transportation Alliance heralded the Illinois House and Senate passing the “Stop Super Speeders” bill (HB 4948), which spokesperson Ted Villaire wrote “will make our streets safer by reigning in repeat reckless drivers . ” The legislation set the stage for using Intelligent Speed Assistance tech, which employs onboard sensors and… 4. Prediction Market Kalshi Sues Illinois Over Its Push To Regulate Sports Bets [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/28/prediction-market-kalshi-sues-illinois-over-its-push-to-regulate-sports-bets/] — Block Club Chicago CHICAGO — Prediction market Kalshi — which offers trades on everything from the World Cup top goalscorers to the winners of the reality show Love Island and the 2028 Democratic primary — sued Illinois on Tuesday over its latest push to regulate sports bets on the platform. The most recent move in the ongoing legal battle between the state and prediction market operators came after the state… 5. U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley Uses State Of Uptown Theatre As Metaphor In Mayoral Campaign Kickoff [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/27/u-s-rep-mike-quigley-uses-state-of-uptown-theatre-as-metaphor-in-mayoral-campaign-kickoff/] — Block Club Chicago U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley launched his bid for Chicago mayor Saturday at the Uptown Theatre, urging supporters to consider the help needed to save the dilapidated movie palace as a metaphor for the action needed to realize the city’s full potential. It was the veteran congressman’s first public campaign event since he announced in January that he intended to run. The Chicago Democrat’s kickoff… Daily TopFive for Chicago Politics and Urbanism Daily. Links above go to the original articles. Follow and rate Chicago Politics and Urbanism Daily on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chicago-daily-fix/id1895649620] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/70Xl3C6mvct6Wif5EAvxay]. Feedback? Email chicago-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com [chicago-daily-fix@lanternpodcasts.com].

29. juni 20269 min

Chicago’s Reform Test: Stairs, Schools and a $7B West Side Build — June 05, 2026

Description

Comments

1 month for 9 kr.

All episodes