General News News
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
JPMorgan Chase’s charitable arm has pledged to dole out $5-million to grass-roots charities chosen by Facebook users, USA Today reports.
Participants in the Chase Community Giving contest can vote through December 11 for an eligible nonprofit group and encourage other users of the social-media site to follow suit. The top vote-getter will be awarded $1-million, with five runners-up getting $100,000 each and 100 other finalists receiving $25,000 apiece.
Please consider supporting CNT through the Chase Community Giving contest! And as always, you can also support CNT with a secure online donation!
Posted in General News | 2 Comments »
Monday, November 16th, 2009
We at CNT are stunned and deeply saddened by the death of Michael Scott. He was a remarkable civic leader who cared greatly for the disadvantaged, especially children—whether residents of Lawndale or students at Fenger High School.
Michael’s early leadership helping to develop the Lawndale community led to his interest in, and the subsequent founding of, CNT. He served on our board for more than 10 years, holding the position of President twice.
He was a strong supporter of innovation who was never satisfied with the status quo and who will be dearly missed by CNT, as well as the broader Chicago community. Our thoughts and condolences are with Michael’s family and close friends.
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
CNT applauds Governor Pat Quinn’s creation of Economic Recovery Commission, a panel charged with providing guidance for dealing with the current economic downturn while also preparing plans to ensure the long-term health and prosperity of Illinois’ economy.
“It is the best way to be ready and smart about upcoming economic opportunities to address the state’s unemployment rate and to accelerate the recovery and make it work for all communities and residents of Illinois,” stated CNT’s President Scott Bernstein who was appointed to the Commission. “We can take a leadership role in a 21st century approach that makes Illinois and its communities leaders in taking on tough economic and environmental issues simultaneously.” Read more »
Posted in General News, Scott Bernstein | No Comments »
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
The Chicago 2016 bid fueled a renaissance of ideas—inside and outside the official bid process—on how to transform our region for the better. Now, even though Chicago won’t be hosting the 2016 Olympics, these new ideas are giving the City the opportunity to build a world-class, environmentally sustainable city—one that can pay both economic and environmental dividends. Creating a cutting-edge, environmentally sustainable city isn’t just about creating something that “our grandkids will thank us for.” By investing in the infrastructure and innovation that would have demonstrated Chicago as a model of sustainability for the Olympics, we can also address long-standing, confounding problems that have kept many Chicago neighborhoods from offering a high quality of life, affordable for everyone.
Read more »
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Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Cited a “top active thinker of today”, CNT President Scott Bernstein landed on Planetizen’s recent “crowd sourcing experiment” to identify the top 100 urban thinkers of all time. Among an impressive list of academics, civic leaders, authors and politicians, Scott was ranked #27 by voters.
Among Scott’s achievements, one of the most significant right now is his contributions in coining the term “location efficiency”, which is becoming more widely known and used to draw the connection between where we live and how much we spend on transportation.
Google the term “location efficiency”. The first result links to the Location Efficient Mortgage (LEM), developed by CNT, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Surface Transportation Policy Project in 1995. LEM’s recognize the savings available to people who live in location efficient communities.
Read more »
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Thursday, August 27th, 2009
The Center for Transit-Oriented Development is celebrating its fifth year, and has published a brochure detailing our projects, partnerships and intellectual capital. Download it here to find out what we do and how our national experience might be able to leverage your efforts, with the end goal of promoting sustainability, livability and affordability. The Center for Transit-Oriented Development is a partnership of Reconnecting America, CNT and Strategic Economics. Read more about CTOD on our site.
Also, check out the interactive map on CTOD’s projects across the country on Reconnecting America’s site.
Posted in General News, Transit-Oriented Development | No Comments »
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Today, Governor Patrick Quinn announced his appointment of Jacky Grimshaw, the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Vice-President of Policy, to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board.Jacky brings 30 years of professional experience working on transportation and community development issues in Chicago and across the country. Jacky recognizes the importance of mass transportation systems to our urban environment. “A high-quality public transit system is vital to our region’s economic growth. Just as important, an efficient mass transportation system can significantly lower transportation costs for households at the same time that it improves the environment.”
“We are pleased that the Governor has selected a transportation leader like Jacky to serve on the CTA board,“ said Kathryn Tholin, CNT’s CEO. “Jacky is a consummate professional who understands the value of a strong CTA and will work tirelessly on its behalf.” Read more »
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Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
CNT was recognized as one of only eight organizations from around the world to receive the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. CNT has pioneered new approaches to urban problems that use resources more efficiently, reduce costs for households and communities, and improve the environment. The award recognizes organizations that are “highly creative and effective, have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and are helping to address some of the world’s most challenging problems.”
“The MacArthur Foundation has a long history of supporting organizations around the world like these that demonstrate the creativity, drive, and vision to make the world more just and peaceful,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. “These organizations may be small but their impact is tremendous. From protecting human rights to improving urban neighborhoods to conserving biodiversity, they are blazing new paths and finding fresh solutions to some of our most difficult challenges.”
Read more »
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Friday, April 10th, 2009
Two of CNT’s leaders are being recognized this Spring for their work in changing the urban landscape in Chicago and around the world.
CNT’s President and Founder Scott Bernstein is being recognized as Chicago region’s public interest hero for making a significant positive change to the region over the last 30 years. On May 1, 2009, Scott will receive a “BPI’s 40 Who’ve Made a Difference Award.” Scott has been a true champion of cities. His vision that “place matters” has made change happen, from the formation of the city of Chicago’s energy code, to piloting Location Efficient Mortgages, to putting forth an urban agenda that stresses that housing and transportation affordability as the key to developing sustainable and livable cities. From his early days as an organizer on Chicago’s west side to testifying in front of Congressional committees, Scott has worked to improve the quality of life for all urban dwellers. For over 30 years, Scott has led the charge in demonstrating that cities and their people are assets in addressing economic and environmental challenges.
Read more »
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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
The Illinois Smart Grid Initiative (ISGI)’s new report, “Empowering Consumers through a Modern Electric Grid”, explores the potential benefits of a modernized electric grid and maps a policy path for achieving those benefits for consumers and the economy. At a time when both President Obama’s Administration and Congress have prioritized electric grid modernization and the jobs potential it holds, Illinois is well positioned to become the national leader in the adoption of a truly consumer-focused smart grid.
Illinois residents face $6-11 billion annually in costs related to power outages and power disruptions, with many communities experiencing outage levels far above the national average. The ISGI Report outlines how a smart grid can fundamentally improve reliability and efficiency, integrate renewable energy on the local level, and empower consumers to take charge of and reduce their electricity bills–while saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.
Read more »
Posted in Energy, General News, Illinois Smart Grid Initiative | 2 Comments »
