Upzoning Meets Chicago’s Hidden Veto Points — June 24, 2026

Upzoning Meets Chicago’s Hidden Veto Points — June 24, 2026

Chicago zoning reform gets a hard look through Yonah Freemark’s upzoning research, a City Hall explainer on aldermanic prerogative’s hidden vetoes, and CPS’s hybrid school board as reform promises collide with who actually controls permits, services, and schools. IN THIS EPISODE 1. [PDF] Upzoning Chicago: Impacts of a Zoning Reform on Property Values and Housing Construction | Semantic Scholar [https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Upzoning-Chicago%3A-Impacts-of-a-Zoning-Reform-on-and-Freemark/1b545b4d8aaf1533c3203f1f46187202d33711d6] — Urban Affairs Review * DOI:[10.1177/1078087418824672](https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087418824672) * Corpus ID: 159317550 # Upzoning Chicago: Impacts of a Zoning Reform on Property Values and Housing Construction ``` @article{Freemark2020UpzoningCI, title={Upzoning Chicago: Impacts of a Zoning Reform on Property Values and Housing Construction}, author={Yonah Slifkin Freemark}, journal={Urban Affairs Review}, … 2. Step Back — Chicago mayors have promised to curb aldermanic prerogative, but outside the headline zoning fights, where do alderpeople still have de facto veto power over permits, licenses, city services, or contracts — and how can residents tell whether an executive order has actually changed that? BACKGROUND SOURCES * Key City Panel Rejects Bid to Ban Video Gambling in 6 Chicago Wards, Defying Local Alderpeople | Chicago News | WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2026/03/12/key-city-panel-rejects-bid-ban-video-gambling-6-chicago-wards-defying-local-alderpeople] — WTTW * Chicago's 311 system turns into a 'black hole' for residents' nonemergency complaints - Chicago Sun-Times [https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/02/26/chicago-311-system-poor-response-city-hall-inspector-general-deborah-witzburg] — Suntimes * New Zoning chair Villegas begins chipping away at backlog of stalled projects - Chicago Sun-Times [https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/05/06/zoning-committee-chair-gilbert-villegas-stalled-projects-backlog-brandon-johnson] — Suntimes * Federal investigation into affordable housing, aldermanic prerogative in Chicago fizzles - Chicago Sun-Times [https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/07/08/hud-affordable-housing-aldermanic-prerogative-discrimination-brandon-johnson] — Suntimes * Executive Orders | Office of the City Clerk [https://www.chicityclerk.com/legislation-records/journals-and-reports/executive-orders] — Office of the City Clerk 3. Chicago Board of Education | Chicago Public Schools [https://www.cps.edu/about/chicago-board-of-education] — Chicago Public Schools Top of Page [Skip to Content](#main) Main 1. [Home](/) / 2. [About CPS](/about/) 3. Chicago Board of Education # Chicago Board of Education The Chicago Board of Education ("Board") is a hybrid governing body with 11 members appointed by the mayor and 10 elected members. The Board is responsible for the oversight of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). CPS is committed to transparency, and working… 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].

Bronzeville Trail Starts Testing as Chicago Reform Debates Simmer — June 23, 2026

Bronzeville Trail crews began environmental soil testing for a $100 million elevated bike path and greenway, putting a South Side connectivity project into motion while Chicago’s wider reform debates over schools, police staffing and housing remain unresolved. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Work Begins On Bronzeville Trail, The South Side’s 1st Elevated Bike Path [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/22/work-begins-on-bronzeville-trail-the-south-sides-1st-elevated-bike-path/] — Block Club Chicago Work Begins On Bronzeville Trail, The South Side’s 1st Elevated Bike Path Vacant lots and the former train embankment where the Bronzeville Trail is planned, as seen above 40th and State streets in Bronzeville on Oct. 8, 2024. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago BRONZEVILLE — Plans for the South Side’s first elevated biking trail moved forward Monday as county workers began the first in a… 2. Elected School Board - Chicago Board of Education [https://www.cpsboe.org/elected-school-board] — Chicago Board of Education * [Home](/home) * [Meetings](/meetings) * [Committees](/committees) * [Policies & Rules](/board-policies) * [About](/about) * [How can we help?](/contact) * [Supt-CEO Search](/supt-ceo-search) Meeting registration opens Jun 8 # Elected School Board **NEW! Informational Meeting on Elected School Board** We hosted a webinar on June 17 at 6 p.m. to share information around CPS’ upcoming… 3. How to Solve Chicago’s Housing Shortage | Chicago Contrarian [https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/how-to-solve-chicago-housing-shortage] — Chicago Contrarian # How to Solve Chicago’s Housing Shortage October 16, 2025 [Jordan Powell V](/writers/jordan-powell-v)  ***Unshackle the private sector and release their animal spirits*** The usual “solution” to finding or developing affordable housing is to turn to the public sector. It… 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].

Housing Reform Hits the Local-Control Wall — June 22, 2026

Illinois BUILD Act opposition is sharpening from suburban mayors and neighborhood organizers, putting housing abundance against local control and displacement fears. The rest of the brief checks Chicago’s reform machinery: aldermanic prerogative, CTA bus reliability, and open-government transparency. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Local mayors oppose 'BUILD' Act | The Chicago Report [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3MZA7vnzP0] — The Chicago Report # Local mayors oppose 'BUILD' Act | The Chicago Report ## FOX 32 Chicago 472000 subscribers 26 likes ### Description 1963 views Posted: 16 May 2026 Illinois lawmakers and local officials are weighing the potential impact of the proposed BUILD Act.  It's a wide-ranging housing and zoning bill that could reshape how development decisions are made across the state.  Supporters say it would speed up… 2. [PDF] sixty-day report - on implementation of executive order no. 2019-2 [https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/mayor/Press%20Room/Press%20Releases/2019/August/MLEL_SixtyDay_Rprt_FINAL.pdf] — City of Chicago CITY OF CHICAGO SIXTY-DAY REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 2019-2 LORI E. LIGHTFOOT MAYOR OF CHICAGO 2 C I T Y O F C H I C A G O • S I X T Y D AY R E P O R T To the residents of the City of Chicago: On my first day as Mayor, I signed Executive Order No. 2019-2, which prohibited any City department from deferring to aldermanic prerogative. What this change means as a practical… 3. Frequency and Reliability [https://equity82.digital.uic.edu/freq_rel.php]  Route 82 in the Context of CTA Standards ## Methods Route 82’s quality of service can be broken down into two parts: (1) the scheduled frequency of service and (2) the actual reliability of service. Standards and definitions vary by agency and are located in the Appendix. Here, the term “frequency” will refer to the scheduled frequency of bus service. Route… 4. Open Gov Report Card: ‘D’ for Chicago City Council Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight [https://projects.citybureau.org/open-gov-report-card/chicago-city-council-committee-on-ethics-and-government-oversight] — City Bureau # [Open Gov Report Card](/open-gov-report-card/) [About](/open-gov-report-card/about) [Back to List](/open-gov-report-card/) This agency passes7 of the 11 categories for a score of 64%. ## Chicago City Council Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight The Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight shall have jurisdiction over matters concerning the ethical operation of City government… 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].

Chicago’s Power Shift Meets Its Trust Problem — June 19, 2026

Chicago Board of Education’s hybrid era puts CPS control, CEO power, and voter accountability in focus, while a corruption retrospective shows how aldermanic prerogative helped create the distrust reformers are trying to unwind. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Step Back — Chicago is getting its first hybrid school board, with some members elected and some appointed — so what will this board actually control at CPS, and what power does the mayor still keep? BACKGROUND SOURCES * Chicago’s School Board Election Is Coming This Fall — Here’s How It Will Work | Chicago News | WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2026/04/14/chicago-s-school-board-election-coming-fall-here-s-how-it-will-work] — WTTW * Voters to select Chicago Public Schools board, including CPS board president, on Chicago Election Day 2026 - ABC7 Chicago [https://abc7chicago.com/post/voters-select-chicago-public-schools-board-including-cps-president-election-day-2026/18849215/] — Abc7chicago * Chicago school board renews charters after delaying vote over accountability questions - Chalkbeat [https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/06/10/chicago-school-board-renews-charters/] — Chalkbeat * Who gets to choose CPS’s next CEO? Chicago elected officials disagree. - Chalkbeat [https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/08/13/chicago-officials-disagree-on-who-chooses-next-ceo/] — Chalkbeat * Chicago’s new school board members on what it takes to lead CPS - Chalkbeat [https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/09/17/chicago-public-schools-board-of-education-talk-politics-and-governance/] — Chalkbeat * New poll finds low awareness of Chicago’s shift to elected school board - Chalkbeat [https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/12/12/elected-school-board-awareness-low-new-kids-first-poll-finds/] — Chalkbeat 2. City Council Corruption Arises From Unchecked Aldermanic Power - Center for Effective Government [https://effectivegov.uchicago.edu/news/power-begets-corruption-on-the-city-council] — Center for Effective Government # Power Begets Corruption on the City Council **Engagement** Published: Apr 03 2023 ##### Share *“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from*[*Crain’s Chicago Business*](https://www.chicagobusiness.com/)*and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it… 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].

City Council Backs Greyhound, New Housing and Airbag Crackdown — June 18, 2026

Chicago City Council approved a $19.2 million Greyhound station purchase, major West Loop and Avondale housing projects, and an airbag-resale crackdown, putting transit preservation, housing supply, and practical public-safety enforcement at the center of City Hall’s reform agenda. IN THIS EPISODE 1. City Gives Final OK To Buy Greyhound Bus Station [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/17/city-gives-final-ok-to-buy-greyhound-bus-station/] — Block Club Chicago City Gives Final OK To Buy Greyhound Bus Station The Greyhound bus station, 630 W. Harrison St., on the Near West Side. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago CITY HALL — Chicago will officially be allowed to purchase the city’s Greyhound bus station, a major step toward preserving the station and intercity bus transportation. The City Council on Wednesday approved a purchasing agreement to… 2. 29-Story High-Rise With Public Park Coming To West Loop [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/17/29-story-high-rise-with-public-park-coming-to-west-loop/] — Block Club Chicago 29-Story High-Rise With Public Park Coming To West Loop Proposed residential tower at 215 W Racine. Credit: Archeo WEST LOOP — A 29-story apartment high-rise is slated for the West Loop after receiving approval from the City Council on Wednesday. The project being developed by Domus Real Estate Group at 215 N. Racine Ave. was approved for a DX-16 zoning designation, typically reserved for… 3. Avondale Rental Townhomes To Replace Vacant Lot After Getting City Council Approval [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/17/avondale-rental-townhomes-to-replace-vacant-lot-after-getting-city-council-approval/] — Block Club Chicago # Avondale Rental Townhomes To Replace Vacant Lot After Getting City Council Approval Author: Ariel Parrella-Aureli Published: 2026-06-17T19:57:25+00:00 Source: blockclubchicago.org (blockclubchicago.org) Language: en ## Story Avondale Rental Townhomes To Replace Vacant Lot After Getting City Council Approval The Northeast corner of California Avenue and Melrose Street with the updated… 4. Crackdown On Airbag Resellers Passes Council As Thefts Surge [https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/17/crackdown-on-airbag-resellers-passes-council-as-thefts-surge/] — Block Club Chicago Crackdown On Airbag Resellers Passes Council As Thefts Surge Cars sit backed up on California Avenue during rush hour traffic near the Kennedy Expressway in Avondale on July 10, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago CITY HALL — A measure aimed at curbing the resale of stolen airbags amid a massive surge in thefts of the devices — mostly from Hondas — passed the City Council unanimously… 5. Step Back — When a vacant-lot townhouse project or a West Loop high-rise gets City Council approval, why does it still feel like one alderperson can make or break what gets built — what is “aldermanic prerogative,” and how does it shape both housing supply and corruption risk? BACKGROUND SOURCES * Aldermanic Prerogative Showdown on Tap as City Council Confronts Affordable Housing Shortfall | Chicago News | WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2025/07/15/aldermanic-prerogative-showdown-tap-city-council-confronts-affordable-housing-shortfall] — WTTW * Lincoln Park Apartment Complex Set for OK After Aldermanic Prerogative Fight | Chicago News | WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2025/07/15/lincoln-park-apartment-complex-set-ok-after-aldermanic-prerogative-fight] — WTTW * City Council Lifts Ban on Coach Houses and Granny Flats, But Gives Alderpeople Final Say | Chicago News | WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2025/09/25/city-council-lifts-ban-coach-houses-and-granny-flats-gives-alderpeople-final-say] — WTTW * Federal investigation into affordable housing, aldermanic prerogative in Chicago fizzles - Chicago Sun-Times [https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/07/08/hud-affordable-housing-aldermanic-prerogative-discrimination-brandon-johnson] — Suntimes * Debate grows over Pritzker’s proposed BUILD housing plan | FOX 32 Chicago [https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/debate-grows-over-pritzkers-proposed-build-housing-plan] — Kasey Chronis 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].