Steven
@stevevance.net
Chicago, zoning, transportation, maps
my blog: http://stevencanplan.com
my business: http://chicagocityscape.com
cofounder of @chi.streetsblog.org
my blog: http://stevencanplan.com
my business: http://chicagocityscape.com
cofounder of @chi.streetsblog.org
King Drive is an insanely wide road.
You should not bike here.
You should not bike here.
November 23, 2025 at 6:03 AM
King Drive is an insanely wide road.
You should not bike here.
You should not bike here.
that is a big district! Help Drake cover it by volunteering to knock on doors and get the word out
November 23, 2025 at 6:01 AM
that is a big district! Help Drake cover it by volunteering to knock on doors and get the word out
Ald. Dowell went on a bike junket to Denmark and also blocked protected bike lanes on King Drive
chi.streetsblog.org/2013/09/27/p...
chi.streetsblog.org/2013/09/27/p...
November 23, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Ald. Dowell went on a bike junket to Denmark and also blocked protected bike lanes on King Drive
chi.streetsblog.org/2013/09/27/p...
chi.streetsblog.org/2013/09/27/p...
The honking holidays are here
November 23, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The honking holidays are here
Currently mapping the city's Cannabinoid hemp products – Prohibited areas you probably didn't know Chicago had
November 22, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Currently mapping the city's Cannabinoid hemp products – Prohibited areas you probably didn't know Chicago had
TIL about rogue Japanese balls
November 22, 2025 at 6:18 AM
TIL about rogue Japanese balls
I did not have Ald. Moore upzoning any part of his ward on my bingo card
RS-3 ➡️ RT-4
RS-3 ➡️ RT-4
November 22, 2025 at 5:57 AM
I did not have Ald. Moore upzoning any part of his ward on my bingo card
RS-3 ➡️ RT-4
RS-3 ➡️ RT-4
no senior citizen's house will be involved in this development
November 22, 2025 at 5:28 AM
no senior citizen's house will be involved in this development
lol look at the movie playing on this rendering's outdoor screen
November 22, 2025 at 5:27 AM
lol look at the movie playing on this rendering's outdoor screen
in exchange for permission to demolish these residential buildings it owns and replace with a basketball training facility DePaul University has agreed:
- to give its consent to allow landmarking of other buildings it owns or is affiliated with
- to repair one of its buildings
- to give its consent to allow landmarking of other buildings it owns or is affiliated with
- to repair one of its buildings
November 22, 2025 at 4:22 AM
in exchange for permission to demolish these residential buildings it owns and replace with a basketball training facility DePaul University has agreed:
- to give its consent to allow landmarking of other buildings it owns or is affiliated with
- to repair one of its buildings
- to give its consent to allow landmarking of other buildings it owns or is affiliated with
- to repair one of its buildings
In case you’re doing an AMA tonight I have a question: why these three stations on the BNSF line are so close together?
November 22, 2025 at 3:44 AM
In case you’re doing an AMA tonight I have a question: why these three stations on the BNSF line are so close together?
that second stair seems really far away
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
November 22, 2025 at 3:01 AM
that second stair seems really far away
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
floor plans of a proposed 78-home addition that will replace a surface car parking lot
www.chicagocityscape.com/document/3709
There’s a second update, a correction:
November 21, 2025 at 11:16 PM
There’s a second update, a correction:
this proposal from Ald. Hopkins (2nd) seems somewhat related to Mitts's previous proposal *requiring* businesses to install surveillance cameras.
Hopkins's proposal (O2025-0021023) says warrants would be required to access a business's video recordings unless the business consents.
Hopkins's proposal (O2025-0021023) says warrants would be required to access a business's video recordings unless the business consents.
November 21, 2025 at 10:33 PM
this proposal from Ald. Hopkins (2nd) seems somewhat related to Mitts's previous proposal *requiring* businesses to install surveillance cameras.
Hopkins's proposal (O2025-0021023) says warrants would be required to access a business's video recordings unless the business consents.
Hopkins's proposal (O2025-0021023) says warrants would be required to access a business's video recordings unless the business consents.
Here’s the alderperson’s email newsletter from half an hour ago
November 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Here’s the alderperson’s email newsletter from half an hour ago
![Taxing bodies used recapture
Recapture means to (re)collect money after property owners’ successful appeals caused the owners to get refunds. This process is best explained by the Treasurer’s report.
Recapture allows non-home rule taxing agencies – like school districts, park districts and sanitary districts – to recover money refunded to taxpayers after their property assessments were lowered by the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, state courts or county offices [like the Cook County Board of Review].
Those refunds reduced the amount of money taxing agencies anticipated having to pay their bills. When those refunds were large, that crimped the ability of affected taxing agencies to provide services.
The law [adopted by the Illinois legislature in 2021] requires the county Clerk to automatically increase taxing agencies’ levies by the amount refunded during the previous year, although agencies may reject the increase.
The Chicago Public Schools collected the most through recapture, at $49.1 (which is included in the $171.9 million described in the previous section.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:s3dlzbkosetuepegdgtf3ez2/bafkreif5yxyvljreah7xidua3jumh23xngvlspen2ytzlqwvjqaja3jznm@jpeg)
November 20, 2025 at 11:34 PM
This viaduct is supposed to get reconstructed in a big project that is supposed to kick off next year
November 20, 2025 at 9:31 PM
This viaduct is supposed to get reconstructed in a big project that is supposed to kick off next year
8 reasons why your Chicago property tax bill may have gone up:
- 2024 was a reassessment year
- Your property value went up, which meant your assessed value went up
- Downtown Chicago property values dropped disproportionately, thus decreasing their share of the assessed values
- 2024 was a reassessment year
- Your property value went up, which meant your assessed value went up
- Downtown Chicago property values dropped disproportionately, thus decreasing their share of the assessed values
November 20, 2025 at 2:35 PM
8 reasons why your Chicago property tax bill may have gone up:
- 2024 was a reassessment year
- Your property value went up, which meant your assessed value went up
- Downtown Chicago property values dropped disproportionately, thus decreasing their share of the assessed values
- 2024 was a reassessment year
- Your property value went up, which meant your assessed value went up
- Downtown Chicago property values dropped disproportionately, thus decreasing their share of the assessed values
the Cook County Assessor's Office has a map showing price changes for three different residential categories
a big reason why tax bills in West Englewood went up is because home values went up (122% from 2020 to 2024)
a big reason why tax bills in West Englewood went up is because home values went up (122% from 2020 to 2024)
November 19, 2025 at 11:12 PM
the Cook County Assessor's Office has a map showing price changes for three different residential categories
a big reason why tax bills in West Englewood went up is because home values went up (122% from 2020 to 2024)
a big reason why tax bills in West Englewood went up is because home values went up (122% from 2020 to 2024)
A block away, an outdated and semi-vacant office building with an equivalent lot area pays a 2.9x bigger tax bill
[its assessed value dropped 14.4% and its property tax bill is 18.5% less in 2024 than 2023]
[the Cook County Assessor's Office estimates a 15% vacancy rate]
[its assessed value dropped 14.4% and its property tax bill is 18.5% less in 2024 than 2023]
[the Cook County Assessor's Office estimates a 15% vacancy rate]
November 19, 2025 at 6:13 PM
A block away, an outdated and semi-vacant office building with an equivalent lot area pays a 2.9x bigger tax bill
[its assessed value dropped 14.4% and its property tax bill is 18.5% less in 2024 than 2023]
[the Cook County Assessor's Office estimates a 15% vacancy rate]
[its assessed value dropped 14.4% and its property tax bill is 18.5% less in 2024 than 2023]
[the Cook County Assessor's Office estimates a 15% vacancy rate]
Look at the station plaza area on a map! It’s a pretty big unprogrammed space (although it hosts events sometimes) and the asphalt area where the tram tracks are is a huge mixing area. Mixed with buses, trams, and pedestrians, for better or worse.
November 19, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Look at the station plaza area on a map! It’s a pretty big unprogrammed space (although it hosts events sometimes) and the asphalt area where the tram tracks are is a huge mixing area. Mixed with buses, trams, and pedestrians, for better or worse.
Where I wanted to do some Bridge Appreciation and Boat Spotting
November 19, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Where I wanted to do some Bridge Appreciation and Boat Spotting
I took this photo before going to Randall’s Island via this rad bridge over the Harlem River
November 19, 2025 at 7:20 AM
I took this photo before going to Randall’s Island via this rad bridge over the Harlem River
I got you...here's a list of 20 different Illinois towns requiring car parking for bars in 20 different ways
November 19, 2025 at 12:08 AM
I got you...here's a list of 20 different Illinois towns requiring car parking for bars in 20 different ways