New Grants Give Out Millions to Preserve African-American History

Central High School, where school integration battles of the Civil Rights Movement played out, is among 39 sites and historical projects to get National Park Service grants. (Erick Gustafson)
Lunch counters. Churches. Bus stations. Schools. The Civil Rights Movement was an extraordinary social movement that took shape in the most ordinary of places. And precisely because they were so commonplace, those locations are often endangered by development or forgotten altogether. Now, the National Park Service will combat that by giving out millions of dollars of grants to sites and projects that have to do with the Civil Rights Movement and African-American history. Read more... Read more
Read more News, Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty and Critical Environmental Areas, Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities

The State of State Historic Tax Credits

The Gorman Company renovated this 1882 brewery in Milwaukee, and turned it into the Brewhouse Inn and Suites (Source: The Brewhouse Inn and Suites)
Like the federal government, 34 states currently use Historic Tax Credits (HTCs) to encourage the redevelopment and preservation of qualifying historic buildings. By amplifying the federal HTC, state credits help protect states’ unique heritage while creating new jobs and places to house new businesses. The road to success has not been without setbacks, but progress was made by many states in 2016. Read more... Read more
Read more News, Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty and Critical Environmental Areas, Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities

Portland’s New Bike Share Marks Some Early Triumphs

People ride Biketown bikes in Portland (Felicity Mackay/PBOT)
Portland’s new bike share, Biketown, has already had some modest successes. Twenty-six percent of users said they had used the bike share program instead of driving a car, and 64 percent said they’re biking more. The program also reported some upsides for local businesses: 71 percent of tourists who used the bikes said they did so to reach stores or restaurants, and 69 percent of local riders said they were more likely to visit a business near the bike-share stations.... Read more
Read more News, Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices

Englewood Line Trail Could Create Recreation and Job Opportunities for Chicago Residents

The abandoned railroad embankment in Englewood (Source: Englewood Line)
Building on Daniel Burnham’s vision to create a network of interconnected parks, Chicago is looking to build more rail-to-trails like the Bloomindale Trail. One rail-to-trail in the works is the Englewood Line Nature Trail, a proposed two-mile elevated greenway located in the South Side community of the same name. Englewood is a predominately African-American neighborhood that was once home to a bustling commercial district. If the rail-to-trail were built, it could bring in more community investment and improve the quality-of-life... Read more
Read more News, Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities
« Older Entries