New Great Cities Institute Report – “Chicago’s 2023 Mayoral Race: A Progressive Victory Amidst Shocking Low Turnout by Black and Latino Voters.”

Brandon Johnson’s election this past April as Chicago’s new mayor has been hailed across the country as an electrifying victory by progressive Democrats. But a detailed analysis of vote tallies and turnout conducted by Juan González and Matthew Wilson of the Great Cities Institute finds “a startling gap in voter turnout continues to persist along racial and ethnic lines” in Chicago.

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A novel plan to recycle Chicago’s wastewater could prevent a future water crisis

The Freshwater Lab, in partnership with UIC’s Great Cities Institute, has a proposed solution: Supply industrial sites with treated wastewater, while reserving drinking water for the taps that really need it — those running into homes, health care facilities and other places that require potable water (Report titled, "From Waste to Water: A Framework for Sustainable Freshwater Supply in Northeastern Illinois"). This will help meet the area’s drinking water needs, will divert wastewater out of our rivers and will help support industrial economic growth in northern Illinois.

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From Waste to Water: A Framework for Sustainable Freshwater Supply in Northeastern Illinois

Executive Summary: The present moment entails a new set of challenges to water management: A formidable challenge to water management is the growing imbalance between flooding and water scarcity. Because water recycling requires technical innovation and public health inquiry, as well as policy and urban planning considerations, we convened an interdisciplinary team to establish the research and development groundwork for water recycling.

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The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways invites you to their Lake Calumet Bike Network Study website and survey

Cook County wants to make biking, walking and using scooters safer and easier for those who live in parts of southern Cook County. Therefore, the Lake Calumet Bike Network Study will help bring improvements for those who use the aforementioned forms of “active transportation” in the area. Click Here to View Website for More Information and Upcoming Engagement Opportunities. Click Here to Take Survey.

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Mujeres publishes ¡Actívate! A community-data driven guide to help Latinas and their families thrive

Executive Summary: Mujeres Latinas en Acción (Mujeres) officially launched their first ever position paper, ¡Actívate! A community-data driven guide to help Latinas and their families thrive. Founded in 1973, Mujeres is the longest-standing Latina-led organization in the country. With its headquarters based in Pilsen in Chicago, Illinois, it has grown from a […]

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2nd Chicago Latino Arts & Culture Summit Connects Latino Arts Leaders With Top Foundations

The annual event brought together leaders from the city's top foundations with their counterparts at more than 20 Chicago Latino nonprofit arts organizations, collectively discussing developing new strategies and solutions to address the funding gap in Latino arts. Carlos Tortolero, President and CEO, National Museum of Mexican Art, shared statistics provided by Dr. Teresa Córdova, Director of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

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