General News News
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Chicago is buzzing a little more this week as Greenbuild prepares to open tomorrow. CNT will be launching a new tool and our research will be included in some of the educational sessions. CNT Energy’s Anne Evens even offered some advice on where to go to while in Chicago, including tips for exploring the Wicker Park Neighborhood where our office is located. Here’s a rundown on where can find us at Greenbuild this week and, even if you’re not attending, how you can learn more about our work! Read more »
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Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
Our H+T Index ® is up for a Chicago Innovation Award, which celebrates the creative spirit of the Chicago region by recognizing and honoring the city’s most innovative new products and services. The Index is revolutionizing how planners, advocates, policy makers and consumers think about housing affordability. You can also vote for the Index in the People’s Choice Award until October 14. Vote for CNT>>
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Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
CNT’s dedication to producing ground-breaking data has earned us a ‘Data Innovation Award’ by the Metro Chicago Information Center for the ‘outstanding achievements CNT has committed to making data accessible, understandable and actionable in the Chicago region.’
We believe that people who have good information in a comprehensible format make good decisions. From our early work in the 80’s—creating the Neighborhood Early Warning System (NEWS) to make housing data on Cook County properties widely accessible to the H+T Affordability Index (a “datafest even by wonk standards”, as reported by The Washington Post)—CNT has been committed to compiling high-quality data, synthesizing and displaying in smart and meaningful ways for a variety of users.
Our newest tool, Abogo, powered by the H + T Index, lets consumers dig down into the nitty-gritty of housing and transportation costs while displaying the information in an easy-to-understand method. Today’s New York Times explains the necessity of the tool, “When you’re shopping around for a new place to live — whether you’re buying or renting — it’s easy to overlook how much it will cost to get around in your new neighborhood.” These are the sort of gaps in information that CNT has been striving to fill. Read more »
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Friday, April 9th, 2010
Chicago, Evanston, New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, D.C. are some of the places where CNT staff will be speaking this weekend and over the next week.
On Saturday, April 10, CNT’s President Scott Bernstein is the keynote speaker at the Sierra Club’s Green Transportation Campaign and Building Healthy Communities Symposium while Bill Eyring, our Natural Resources Senior Engineer, will be talking about adapting your garden for climate change at the Evanston Ecology Center from 9 AM – Noon.
On Sunday, April 11, Maria Choca-Urban, Director of CNT’s Transportation & Community Development Program, will be at the American Planning Association’s Annual Meeting to discuss “Levering High Speed Rail for Urban Planning.” On Monday, April 12, Scott Bernstein will be in Boston to participate in the release of the third Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing housing and transportation cost calculator.
On Tuesday, April 13, CNT’s Natural Resource Director, Steve Wise will be presenting at the 2010 International Low Impact Development Conference. On Wednesday, April 14, Steve returns to Chicago to be a panelist at the Chicago premiere of acclaimed documentary “Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators“, which examines the roles predators play in restoring and maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity before heading to meetings in Washington D.C.
Check our calendar of events for upcoming engagements.
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Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
CNT lost a cherished colleague and co-conspirator for the Common Good, Jan Metzger, who died after a two year battle with cancer on February 22, 2010. Jan joined CNT in 1995, bringing to CNT her smarts, community activism, and ability to make change from the local to the national levels.
Jan was a committed, feisty, and strong woman who was a dedicated resident of Wicker Park – she was a long-time member of Association House board and recently retired as the President of Special Service Area #33. Under Jan’s leadership, the neighborhood developed a community plan that met the needs of new and old-time residents. Read more »
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Friday, February 5th, 2010
We are firing up the grills this afternoon to honor our dear friend and colleague, Shelby Johnson, who died last week after a short illness. Shelby was the heart and soul of CNT.
Working in a LEED Certified Platinum building, you have to maintain a “green’ and healthy environment. Shelby was the person who did that for CNT. Shelby worked for 13 years at CNT as our maintenance person. As we grew and renovated our old weaving factory building, he was the key person who kept it clean with the appropriate cleaning solutions. He was our chief recycler, painter, graffiti buster, indoor gardener, and all around go-to-guy. And most of all he was the person who loved to bring us all together over barbeques. He was always ready to get the grill going in our Rain Garden and he would cook up a storm of wings, turkeys, hamburgers, tofu burgers, and vegetables. Read more »
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Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Today, President Obama addressed a delegation from the U.S. Conference of Mayors on strengthening the economy and creating jobs in communities large and small.
It is clear from his remarks that the President is committed to investing in sustainable communities. He recognized the relationship between transportation, housing, and energy policy. President Obama is making strides to put forth federal policies and spending that put people to work and “help rebuild and revitalize our cities and metropolitan areas for the future.” Read more »
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Thursday, December 31st, 2009
2009 was a remarkable year for CNT! We’ve capitalized on the many unique opportunities to research, invent, and test strategies that use urban resources more efficiently and more equitably. We’ve lent our expertise to the federal administration on creating the cross-cutting interagency, “Partnership for Livable Communities”, and participated in groundbreaking federal initiatives like the announcement of a national high speed rail master plan. Our local policy efforts have ‘trickled up’ to the national level, with the “Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2009” following the passage of the Illinois counterpart. We’ve continued our work at the ‘ground level’, replacing about 2,300 square feet of pavement with native plants and permeable surfaces, and conducting energy audits for 8,250 units in 260 multifamily buildings.
In 2010 we hope to scale up our strategies at expanding transportation options, reducing stormwater runoff and creating higher performing, energy-efficient, buildings. We wish you the best as well and hope you will continue to support our work. Whether you read our blog, subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, peruse our photos or simply believe in our work – thank you. Your support fuels us! (photo by doug88888)
Have a fantastic New Year!
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
Maurie was a truly unusual engineer. He was an innovator. When he woke up in the morning, the questions he asked himself were: How can we use less energy? How can we generate electricity more efficiently? How can we invent something new?
In 1981, Maurie joined the Chicago Energy Commission, a blue ribbon panel sponsored by the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Business and Professional People in the Public Interest. Maurie was that rare engineer that was interested in public policy. He helped frame an economic development agenda for Chicago around energy conservation. This is something that is only now, more than 25 years later, getting the attention it deserves.
During the same period, Maurie and Scott Bernstein, the founder of CNT, identified the Union Station Steam Plant, at Roosevelt Road and the Chicago River, as an opportunity for innovation. Why not turn this 1920s-era steam plant into a state-of-the-art cogeneration facility that generates steam, electricity, and chilled water – and become the comprehensive energy source for the building along the Amtrak right of way?
Read more »
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Friday, December 4th, 2009
Earlier this year, when CNT received a “MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions”, leaders called our work,…quality, provocative, and effective. Simply put,“CNT is the go to place for new ideas.”
For over 30 years, CNT has been blazing new paths and finding fresh solutions and innovations to urban sustainability.
Your support is important to us so that we can continue to carry out our unique vision of healthy cities that use resources efficiently and lead to national, regional and household prosperity.
Read about our 2009 key accomplishment and make an investment in sustainable communities today!
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