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Richard Day

@rsday.bsky.social
242 followers 50 following 190 posts
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Reposted by Richard Day
A City That Works @acitythatworks.bsky.social · 10h
A string of upzonings on the South Side are a breath of fresh air for housing development in Chicago with immense credit going to Aldermen Desmond Yancy (5th) and Ronnie Mosley (21st) for their work in this process. citythatworks.substack.com/p/a-better-p...
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Reposted by Richard Day
A City That Works @acitythatworks.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🚨 Chicago ranked dead last among big cities for new housing construction. 🚨 Join us next week as we discuss solutions with Aldermen Red Burnett, @gilbertv36.bsky.social, and Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council that will get our housing development back on track.
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Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 29/09/2026
People mistakenly believe that unfunded inclusionary zoning is a way to tax developers and rich people to fund subsidized housing for the poor. It is not. In reality, it’s a tax on working and middle class renters. Actual rich people, who overwhelmingly own single family homes, pay nothing at all.
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SideStreets @sidestreets.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Public advocates need to insert themselves into procurement processes whenever possible.
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Michael McLean @michaelmclean.me · 25/09/2026
Alderman Burnett and Lawson have introduced an ordinance that could seriously boost housing production across Chicago if enacted. - Removes MLA reqs for RT/RM/Commercial/Downtown parcels - Excludes 'family-sized' units from FAR calcs! chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Matter/?matt...
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Sam @samd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
nothing but solidarity for our Ukrainian allies pursuing a double victory: Victory against Russia at home Victory against Republicans in America
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Municipal Corporation @nikhunder.com · 24/09/2026
With the RLX in the news cycle again. May I suggest reading about how we got here?
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A City That Works @acitythatworks.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There’s now a light at the end of the tunnel for Chicago’s infamously wretched parking meter deal, and it’s a wonderful, if rare, example of good governance in action. citythatworks.substack.com/p/yes-we-sho...
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Thomas Bamonte @thomasbamonte.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
“Ensuring all buses, in service and not in service alike, have a reliably smooth and fast trip on DLSD has massive ripple benefits for the entire network, unlocking faster, more efficient, and more reliable operations for buses throughout the city.” citythatworks.substack.com/p/view-from-...
citythatworks.substack.com
View from the wheel: Dedicated bus lanes on Lake Shore Drive matter more than you think
Bus networks do not survive on in-service routes alone
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William Skudlarek @willskud.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
this person evidently missed the message that you’re not supposed to say the quiet part out loud when asked by a reporter why you don’t want upzoning www.oakpark.com/2026/09/22/z...
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A City That Works @acitythatworks.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A City That Works is proud to endorse @jessicabiggs.bsky.social for CPS Board President. Read full endorsement: citythatworks.substack.com/p/endorsemen...
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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 22/09/2026
NIMBYism destroys your commercial property tax base: “Occupied space has climbed in parts of Dallas, Atlanta and Miami along with growing populations…On the flipside, Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland…are among the metro areas where vacancies continue to grow.” www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
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William Skudlarek @willskud.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
TIL For 25 yrs, HUD used urban renewal grant funding to effectively force 4k+ localities to adopt model building codes and drop expensive local req'ts in the process. It ended in 1974 after Congress revoked HUD's authority b/c Chicago refused to comply. babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ui...
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Jeremy Glover @jgrantglover.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Chicago can't tax its way out of a structural deficit, but it just might be able to build its way out. Here's one example: There's been a slew of recent residential redevelopment on Western Ave south of the 606. The projects I highlighted generated 10x as much prop tax in 2025 than in 2009.
Two aerial images of Western Ave between North Ave and Bloomingdale Ave. One image was taken in 2009, and the other was taken in 2025. Seven properties have been highlighted on each map, which were all redeveloped between 2009 and 2025.A chart showing the total billed property tax by year for the seven properties on Western Ave between North Ave and Bloomingdale Ave highlighted on the previous image.
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Housing in Chicago: it's very, very, very bad.
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Every ward deserves an Alder who works this hard to understand, explain and address our housing crisis.
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Reposted by Richard Day
Michael McLean @michaelmclean.me · 10/09/2026
Wow, @acitythatworks.bsky.social blog mentioned by a board member during the meeting. He recommended his colleagues take a look at this article citythatworks.substack.com/p/illinois-a...
citythatworks.substack.com
Illinois already killed parking mandates. Chicago should finish the job.
The hard part is done, don't make it harder
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is really, really good news.
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Daniel Koslovsky @dtkoslovsky.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
My next article in the @acitythatworks.bsky.social building code series is up, doing a deep dive on the plumbing code. Come to learn about the one weird trick the city could use to shave 5% off construction costs, stay to learn about the 19th century joint coupling method the city still mandates!
citythatworks.substack.com
Let’s fix the plumbing code
Lead and oakum joints belong in museums
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Reposted by Richard Day
A City That Works @acitythatworks.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Chicago has seen a dramatic decline in violent crime over the last few years, but the progress is nowhere near good enough. Thankfully, there are a handful of reforms Chicago's next mayor can implement that can bring about transformative results. 🧵 citythatworks.substack.com/p/chicagos-n...
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Stephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 08/09/2026
“Although 2/3 of the respondents live in high-rise developments, 70% of survey respondents said high-rises…reduced quality of life downtown…All but six of the survey respondents own the homes they live in. But Agha said he doesn’t believe the opinions of renters differ greatly from the owners.”
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William Skudlarek @willskud.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The agenda for NITA's first meeting for this Thurday is already up. First orders of business: choosing a board chair AND an interim executive director. nita.illinois.gov/uploads/file...
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Protect Bridgeport Bicyclists @stevevance.net · 04/09/2026
basically the way Chicago is going to comply with state law’s ban on parking mandates is by encoding every eligible bus route into the zoning code this is a bureaucratic nightmare if the CTA or Pace changes a route then city staff and city council will have to adopt an amendment
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Abundant Housing Illinois @abundanthousingil.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
"The issue here pits those who think the development-friendly policies of the past in this area were a mistake that needs correction against a synagogue that wants to ensure its own future and reasonably argues that many of those who oppose the project actually live in high rises themselves."
Scott Stantis editorial cartoon for Wed, Sept 2, 2026, on Edgewater synagogue redevelopment (Scott Stantis/For the Chicago Tribune).

Caption reads: "Irony? What irony?!"

Editorial cartoon depicts a squat building labeled "Temple Emanuel Edgewater" among many grey highrises, in front of which two people hold a banner reading "No Highrises!".
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Protect Bridgeport Bicyclists @stevevance.net · 02/09/2026
Ald. Hopkins has introduced an ordinance to repeal the city’s landmark designation of the Cortland St bridge 📄 chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Matter/?matt...
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Alex @acannon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Many Alexs are saying this
substack.com
Illinois already killed parking mandates. Chicago should finish the job.
The hard part is done, don't make it harder
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Lake. Big Lake. @lakebiglake.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
The NIMBYs want Chicago to be a diminished city. chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/...
chicago.suntimes.com
Battle intensifies over Emanuel Congregation's new lakefront home in Edgewater
Housing advocates said the synagogue's plan will help bring much needed housing to the area, but some residents and local businesses are against the project, calling for stronger lakefront protections...
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Thomas Bamonte @thomasbamonte.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Per @urbanistcomic.bsky.social @strongtownschicago.bsky.social the City of Chicago is fumbling its implementation of the People Over Parking Act, a key part of the NITA reforms package—ending minimum parking mandates around frequent transit—outlines a fix. citythatworks.substack.com/p/illinois-a...
citythatworks.substack.com
Illinois already killed parking mandates. Chicago should finish the job.
The hard part is done, don't make it harder
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Reposted by Richard Day
A City That Works @acitythatworks.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Municipal procurement is not only a multi-billion-dollar domain - it’s also an area with substantial untapped savings potential for the City of Chicago. Read the full article: citythatworks.substack.com/p/chicago-is...
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Wearing an 'Immigrants make America great' T-shirt to a rally opposing more housing is really a choice.
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Municipal Corporation @nikhunder.com · 31/08/2026
I'm on a 39-reports-long streak of using the chat bot to report smoking and CTA not doing anything about it.
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Star:Line Chicago @starlinechicago.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
There is a real risk that NITA leadership could look at the laundry list of things they are now explicitly empowered to do, say “this all looks hard”, and kick things back to the service boards. And there are folks who would be happy to have that outcome. Advocates need to stay vigilant and vocal.
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Abundant Housing Illinois @abundanthousingil.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
if you're in Edgewater and have time on Sunday (August 30, 12:45 PM) and want to support more housing, then please attend this rally
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Municipal Corporation @nikhunder.com · 28/08/2026
Pretty wild that no one with any transit management experience is on CTA's new board, which is soon to be their entire job ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Chicago 🏳️‍⚧️🌱 @chicagotrans-plant.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
This isn't some hypothetical. Go to a zoning meeting and one speaker will say the most racist shit another and the next some woke washed bullshit about how it's not affordable enough, but they both applaud each other.
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
We're long overdue to set up the institutional Blue Sky account.
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Emily Hugan @changeurbanlife.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Can someone from NITA hire a software engineer w a sustainable transportation masters degree pls
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Thomas Bamonte @thomasbamonte.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Chicago transit board appointments graded @rsday.bsky.social. “We’re just scraping by with a passing GPA here. But it’s worth noting that these appointees do represent a significant improvement over the set of folks who previously served on these boards.” citythatworks.substack.com/p/lets-grade...
citythatworks.substack.com
Let’s grade some NITA Appointments
Better transit requires better leadership
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Mr. Brutalism @jmings.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
It's almost like all residential areas of Chicago should allow up to 4 flats at minimum…
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Star:Line Chicago @starlinechicago.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
NITA needs to ensure the Forest Park Branch rebuild is done right: a piecemeal process prolongs the pain on the West Side and could lock in the current inefficient track design for another generation. NITA must be bold in reimagining what the Blue Line can be, then implement improvements accordingly
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
We should not buy the parking meters back - at least at anything approaching the current prices being discussed. citythatworks.substack.com/p/no-we-shou...
citythatworks.substack.com
No, we shouldn’t buy the parking meters back
Selling was a mistake. But buying would be, too.
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Michael McLean @michaelmclean.me · 25/08/2026
Growth is not an iron law. It can just… stop. Trump wants us to be isolated like Britain too…
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
More very cool bus reporting today.
citythatworks.substack.com
View from the wheel: Why are all the buses stacked together?
An hour in the life of a simple bus route
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Zak Yudhishthu @zyudhishthu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I sympathize w/ this renter, but there's a structural imbalance: we will never get a Block Club article about the Chicagoans who benefit from these 26 new housing units. It's hard to tell a news-y story about the benefits, even when legit externalities exist... blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/18/a...
blockclubchicago.org
A Room Without A View: New Building Goes Up Just Inches From Woman’s Window
Lucia Whalen knew the lot next door to her Wicker Park rental would become a garage. But now, she can't even put an air conditioner in her window.
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Over at A City That Works: Today, CPD solves just 9% of non-fatal shootings. That's bad by almost any standard - including other big cities. Here's how we can fix it: citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-should-...
citythatworks.substack.com
In Chicago, only 9% of shootings result in an arrest
In Chicago, only 9% of shootings result in an arrest
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M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The evidence is by now clear and policymakers/planners are slowly starting to respond to it: unfunded inclusionary zoning programs ultimately hurt housing production and affordability. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/13/b...
bostonglobe.com
‘20 percent of zero is zero’: Some progressive cities are slashing their affordable housing mandates. Should Boston? - The Boston Globe
The plan — paired with major new city spending on dedicated affordable housing units — underscores how desperation is prompting some left-wing strongholds to make surprising compromises.
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Protect Bridgeport Bicyclists @stevevance.net · 14/08/2026
it’s pretty cool that “big tent urbanism” is politically popular in Chicago We had a summer party and 7 incumbents and 7 challengers (mostly for different wards than the incumbent) showed up
Photo of the attendees in the event space
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Daniel Koslovsky @dtkoslovsky.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
A have a piece up today in A City That Works, introducing a series on where the Chicago building code is ripe for reform with an eye towards improving housing affordability.
substack.com
A plan to cut construction costs
Four changes to boost construction across Chicago
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Richard Day @rsday.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
citythatworks.substack.com
An agenda for family-friendly housing
In high-income neighborhoods, Chicago rewards studio apartments and mansions
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Streetsblog Chicago @chi.streetsblog.org · 05/08/2026
Bored this month? Don't blame our colleagues over at A City That Works. citythatworks.substack.com/p/upcoming-e... @rsday.bsky.social @strongtownschicago.bsky.social @chicagogrowthproj.bsky.social
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