The changing face of metropolitan Chicago

The Conference on Chicago Research and Public Policy on May 12-13 will provide a unique opportunity for policymakers, researchers, community activists, and civic and organizational leaders to share information and ideas and to address key issues affecting the city and the region. The first day of the conference will feature a keynote presentation by Bruce Katz, director of the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy at the Brookings Institution. The second day will include some 60 research panels and policy roundtables on a wide range of topics.

I-GO website new URL

Please note that the website for I-GO car sharing has a new URL:

igocars.org

The URL is currently a redirect to the I-GO section of the Flexcar website.

You’ll still be able to access the site from the old URL, i-go-cars.org, but please update your bookmarks and links to the new one.

Support Family Farmers on Earth Day April 22

This Earth Day–Thursday April 22–you will have the opportunity to support organic family farmers in the region by shopping at all the Whole Foods Market stores in the Chicago area. Whole Foods Market will donate 5% of all sales in these stores to Sustain’s Local Organic Initiative, which is working to build markets for local farmers. “This donation from Whole Foods Market benefits our communities, our farmers, and everyone who cares about locally grown organic foods,” says Sustain President Jim Slama. “Meet and greet” organic farmers and producers and taste a variety of organic products from regional food producers at all nine Chicagoland stores from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Whole Foods Market Chicago area locations:

• 30 W. Huron, Chicago
• 1000 W. North Ave., Chicago
• 3300 N. Ashland, Chicago
• 760 Waukegan Road, Deerfield
• 151 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton
• 7245 W. Lake Street, River Forest
• 1331 N. Rand Road, Palatine
• 1640 Chicago Ave., Evanston
• 201 W. 63rd St., Willowbrook

CNT’s green building chosen as a finalist for Mayor Daley’s GreenWorks Awards

CNT’s Platinum-designed Green Building has been chosen as a finalist for GreenWorks Awards, Mayor Daley’s new bi-annual competition to recognize outstanding examples of green building in Chicago. The ceremony will take place at the Inaugural Emerald Gala on May 8th, 2004. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn will deliver the keynote address.

To reserve tickets, visit the USGBC Chicago chapter website.

Indicators for Chicago Wilderness

“What is the value of an indicator?” asks Stephen Perkins, Senior Vice President of CNT, in the recent issue of the Chicago Wilderness Journal. The essay “explores different types of indicators and how they can help Chicago Wilderness achieve its mission.” “If we choose our indicators well,” Perkins argues,” it should both inform and inspire. It should show us where existing programs are resulting in steady progress toward biodiversity conservation and where new strategies and programs may be needed.”

Natural Connections

CNT and Openlands Project would like to announce the completion of Natural Connections, a state-of-the-art geospatial database of green infrastructure resources in a 14-county region of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The project employed Geographic Information Systems GIS along with the best available data from more than 60 local, state and federal agencies, as well as private land trusts and conservation groups. Collectively, this represents more than 175 layers of data representing the region’s green infrastructure.

Read more »