iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 29/09/2026

Took a break from social media while I was in Scotland, but I wanted to share this picture I took from a ScotRail train over the Forth Bridge. The bridge itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of Scotland.

Looking west across the Firth of Forth from the bridge.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 25/08/2026

From Crain's Chicago Business. www.chicagobusiness.com/transportati...

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 26/06/2026

Or even a step beyond these examples involving multiple legs of an intersection in Iowa City, IA. Note the playground (next to a library), demonstrating that these types of zones do not have to cater to only adults.

College Ave. in Iowa City, IA pedestrian mall. This view is looking east towards Dubuque St.

The Iowa City pedestrian mall on College Ave., looking northwest at the intersection of College and Dubuque St. The ped mall is a T-shape with the nexus at this intersection.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 26/06/2026

What might this look like? In Chicago, it could look like the Ainslie Arts Plaza and nearby Giddings Plaza in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

An aerial view of Ainslie Arts Plaza in Chicago.

A view of Giddings Plaza in Chicago, only possible because of a cul-de-sac and the reclamation of street space for people.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 26/06/2026

1. Arlington Alfresco - a huge success - should be made permanent. And by permanent, I mean closed to cars year-round. Below is the current extent of AA, centered around Harmony Park. A robust variety of restaurants and a theatre are within the district.

An overview of downtown Arlington Heights with the Arlington Alfresco pedestrian area highlighted in red.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 01/06/2026

The governing structure of transit has also changed dramatically. New board members will need to be appointed by September 1. For Mayor Johnson, he will need to have those appointees ready by the June council meeting for approval in July to meet the deadline.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 01/06/2026

People Over Parking Act, as part of NITA, also goes into effect today, a major parking reform that will be statewide. Here are its impacts in Chicago.

People Over Parking Act application areas within the City of Chicago.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 28/05/2026

Looks like the PD for Foundry Park excluded the possibility of an Armitage Ave. bridge connection, as was called for in Lincoln Yards.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 06/05/2026

WTF is a "rhetorical leap"? Anyone ever use this language in real life? No, we call it a lie.

Front page of NYT describing the lying about the Iran war as a "rhetorical leap"

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 17/04/2026

Obligatory pic. Civilized way to travel with an admittedly uncivilized beer

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 28/02/2026

Remember this? Hillary was the warmonger back in 2016.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 28/02/2026

Ah well, can't say I'm not relaxed.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 10/12/2025

I'm a big fan of the wall clock myself.

Metra merchandise store. Metra lines wall clock.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/12/2025

Happy Chicago Parking Meter Day to those who celebrate. We chose to lease our parking meters for 75 years for a little over a billion dollars. The lessee has already made that money back with plenty more and still has another 58 years to go!

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 26/11/2025

Jesus fuck they could have written this article years ago.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/11/2025

Weird way to describe a torture program. You can draw a direct line from Dick Cheney to Donald Trump, even if the former hates the latter.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 31/10/2025

Yes, it's centralized within NITA under a major capital projects prioritization process.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 31/10/2025

I understand the politics of offsetting road revenues being redirected towards transit with a toll increase on the IL Tollway, but... The Tollway is a separate authority that receives no general funds. So the Tollway, which is already flush with revenues, gets an extra $1B?

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 21/10/2025

Undisclosed Tuesday drinking location.

Hint: this bar is well north of 100 years old.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 02/10/2025

The site plan leaves a lot to be desired. On the one hand, the increased mixed-use density near Metra is good. On the other hand, the stadium's footprint, so far from transit, means that Metra is a secondary consideration to parking, of which the Bears will likely generate revenue.

Bears stadium site plan with mixed-use development. While this is the previous site plan, the updated stadium design just eliminates some of the lagoons for more parking.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 12/09/2025

I should say I learned about all of this but I don't understand it, lol. Take a look at the motor and chassis.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 12/09/2025

I love everything about B Line in Portland. Awesome PPP micro mobility business using e-cargo bikes (trucks?) for last mile delivery. Apparently quad cargo bikes coming soon.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 12/09/2025

Riding a bike in Portland, OR is far more relaxing than has been my experience in Chicago. Not news to many, but eye opening to me. What a lovely city.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/09/2025

Perhaps a ghost train or missed run.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/09/2025

A glimpse of what the transit cliff might look like with these headways.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 15/08/2025

Big prediction, if true, as Jeff Park has a glut of underutilized and vacant property within a quarter mile of its train station. Fundamentally, parking is a geometry problem and a cost escalator. chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/...

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 22/07/2025

I find the economics around bike delivery drivers fascinating while here in Paris. Lots of waiting around, presumably for food orders. Though I imagine barriers to entry are low with electric bikes and mopeds as opposed to cars in the US.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 27/06/2025

Present status. Check out Rex in Jeff Park. One of my favorite bars.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 13/06/2025

Me, yapping about the benefit/cost and community mobility improvements of the CREATE Program.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 23/05/2025

Incredible that this happened, but are any of us really surprised anymore?

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 14/05/2025

They "invented" a bus. Great job, guys.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 13/05/2025

Today is the perfect day for a Metra train beer. It makes me sad that there's no longer bar cars 😔

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 08/05/2025

The body of Christ. The blood of Christ.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 25/04/2025

I've been working on the railroad so now I'm drinking underneath it

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 17/04/2025

One of the many ways the current administration impacts the transportation planning field directly.

A letter from a Transportation Research Board (TRB) committee chairperson highlights how the Trump administration is making efforts to censor and distort transportation research.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 26/02/2025

I see this in local govt as well. The desire for "efficiency" in the form of fever govt workers doesn't mean that the work and responsibilities are any less. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 18/02/2025

I'm at Roosevelt and the next train is at 63rd

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 18/02/2025

How is the CTA Red Line running 20 minute headways at noon on a weekday? Just ridiculous.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 17/02/2025

Ah, the old city planners must trope... This is a problem exacerbated by aldermanic prerogative. Because planning in Chicago hits the wall the moment an alder (or their local community orgs) doesn't approve. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/16/e...

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 17/02/2025

The neighborhood is ecstatic about a Pita Inn, which is fine, but I would have preferred the Pita Inn be included in something like this (proposal from 2020 - only the corner site has been developed). nadignewspapers.com/pita-inn-bur...

Proposal from 2020 of the former Sears site at Six Corners in Chicago.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 06/12/2024

This is the giveaway. There most certainly is a proposal on the table.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/12/2024

Of course, the developer can build these SFH by right because the zoning is RS-3. New construction in RS-3 are practically guaranteed to be SFH because of setback, building height and FAR requirements.

Zoning on the 1200 N. block of Paulina Ave. West side is RS-3. East side is B3-2.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/12/2024

The developer says, “This is a quiet pocket of the neighborhood where you wouldn’t want to put anything dense”. But, is this true?

Paulina Street, between Division and Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 14/11/2024

I think Michael Barbaro's reaction sums it up for a lot of us.

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