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November 2024
Webinar – Crossing Latinidades: Climate and Environmental Justice
In US cities, regions, and territories, low-income Latina/o populations often reside in communities sensitive to pollution and climate change events such as droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires. Public policy can often trigger these inequities by forcing people to live in precarious and underserved communities with limited access to resilient infrastructure, services, and opportunities. However, even though climate change disproportionately impacts and displaces Latino communities, there is sparse research within Latino Studies on how these experiences threaten their health, safety, and neighborhood well-being. The overarching research question of the Climate and Environmental Justice working group is: How do Latino communities experience, cope, and contest the disparate impacts of pollution and extreme climate change events? Please join us in this webinar to learn more about our projects.
Find out more »December 2024
The Second City of the British Empire: How History and Place Shape Race and Resistance in Liverpool
Join us at Great Cities Institute to hear from Dr. Stephen Small from the University of California, Berkeley about Liverpool's unique Black community, its historical roots, systemic challenges, and how city policies contrast with London's immigrant-focused approach to shaping Black British urban life.
Find out more »January 2025
Real Time Chicago Lecture Series – Spanish Coalition for Housing: Providing Housing Services to the Community for 50+ Years
The Real Time Chicago Lecture Series is back for Spring 2025, as it continues with its focus on Reimagining Housing Support and Access: Bridging Research, Action, and Community-Centered Process. This session will spotlight the Spanish Coalition for Housing, a vital organization that has been providing housing services to the community for over 50 years. Join Emilio Carrasquillo, Program Manager at the Spanish Coalition for Housing, as he shares insights into the organization’s impactful work and its role in fostering equitable access to housing through innovative, community-driven approaches. This engaging event will take place on January 29, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Great Cities Institute Conference Room, located at 412 S Peoria St, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60607. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the Coalition’s transformative efforts and their vision for the future of housing support.
Find out more »February 2025
Real Time Chicago Lecture Series – Chicago Bungalow Association: Helping to Maintain, Preserve, and Adapt Your Older Home
The Real-Time Chicago Lecture Series for Spring 2025 continues its focus on Reimagining Housing Support and Access: Bridging Research, Action, and Community-Centered Process with an insightful discussion on maintaining, preserving, and adapting older homes. This session will spotlight the Chicago Bungalow Association (CBA), an organization dedicated to helping homeowners maintain and preserve Chicago’s historic housing stock while ensuring long-term sustainability and affordability. Lia Rulli, Program Manager at CBA, as well as Carla Bruni, Preservation and Resiliency Specialist at CBA, will share expert insights on the association’s vital work, including home repair resources, energy efficiency programs, and innovative strategies for adapting older homes to modern needs. This engaging event will take place on February 19, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Great Cities Institute Conference Room, located at 412 S Peoria St, Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60607.
Find out more »April 2025
Gordon Parks and the Postwar City Conference
Join us for Gordon Parks and the Postwar City, a three-day interdisciplinary conference taking place April 2–4, 2025, at the UIC Great Cities Institute and Daley Library. This event explores the groundbreaking work and lasting impact of Gordon Parks—one of the most influential Black photographers, filmmakers, and storytellers of the 20th century. Parks’s career spanned decades and mediums, capturing the radical transformations of post-World War II America. Through his iconic photographic essays, films, and activism, he documented urban life, civil rights, poverty, Black identity, and the rise of Black Power, offering an unflinching look at American society through the lens of social justice. The conference will highlight Parks’s deep connections to Chicago, where he launched his career at the Southside Community Art Center and developed his philosophy of the "camera as a weapon" against inequality. This conference brings together students, scholars, artists, activists, and filmmakers to examine Parks’s legacy across disciplines and its relevance to contemporary struggles for racial and social justice. Featuring panel discussions, film screenings, and community dialogue, the event is free and open to the public.
Find out more »Social Enterprise 2025
Don't miss Social Enterprise 2025! The University of Illinois Chicago, Social Enterprise Chicago, and the Cook County Commission on Social Innovation invite you to attend Social Enterprise 2025. Join us for breakfast and a morning of insightful discussions, networking, and learning from industry experts. Explore next step strategies for maximizing impact, sustainability, and discover innovative ways to strengthen your mission-driven initiatives. Network with like-minded changemakers and strategies for sustainable impact.
Find out more »2025 UIC Urban Forum – The Power of Community Engagement: Building Bridges for Shared Impact
The 2025 UIC Urban Forum, "The Power of Community Engagement: Building Bridges for Shared Impact," will take place on April 8, 2025, at UIC Student Center East in Chicago. The event will bring together leaders from community organizations, academia, business, and government to explore how anchor institutions can foster meaningful partnerships for sustainable impact. Co-chaired by Toni Preckwinkle and Marie Lynn Miranda, the forum will examine best practices, engagement models, and strategies to redefine institutional roles in societal well-being. Hosted by UIC’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, the event underscores its 30-year commitment to community engagement. Registration opens March 3, 2025. More details are available at urbanforum.uic.edu.
Find out more »Real Time Chicago Lecture Series – Digs with Dignity: Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness One Family at a Time
The Real Time Chicago Lecture Series continues its focus on Reimagining Housing Support and Access: Bridging Research, Action, and Community-Centered Process with an inspiring session featuring Kim Hannay, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Digs with Dignity. In this session, "Digs with Dignity: Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness One Family at a Time," Kim will share how her organization is transforming lives by helping families transition out of homelessness with dignity and stability. Through custom home furnishing using sustainable design solutions, Digs with Dignity creates welcoming, functional spaces that empower families to build a fresh start.
Find out more »One Hundred Years of Route 66
Join students from the University of New Mexico (UNM) Community and Regional Planning Capstone Studio for a discussion of the history, development, and impact on communities of Historic Route 66—the U.S.’s first paved highway stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. Led by Professor Moises Gonzales, the studio is examining Route 66’s legacy and developing a vision plan with strategies for preservation, revitalization, and future development along this iconic corridor.
Find out more »Real Time Chicago Lecture Series – NHP Foundation: Reinventing Affordable Housing One Community At A Time
We’re excited to invite you to the fourth session of the Spring 2025 Real Time Chicago Lecture Series, featuring a powerful conversation with leaders from the NHP Foundation and its subsidiary, Operation Pathways. This session will explore how NHP Foundation—a national nonprofit real estate corporation—is driving change by acquiring, preserving, redeveloping, and constructing affordable housing across 16 states and the District of Columbia. With a portfolio of over 8,000 affordable housing units located throughout Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, NHP is committed to ensuring housing remains accessible, stable, and service-enriched for families and individuals across the country. At the heart of this mission is Operation Pathways, a CORES-certified resident services provider that brings an innovative, in-house approach to supportive services. Through four key program areas—Academic Achievement, Financial Stability, Healthier Living, and Aging in Place—Operation Pathways empowers residents to pursue personal goals while improving long-term quality of life. Their model emphasizes impactful, customized programming delivered by Resident Services Coordinators who assess and respond to the evolving needs of each community. In this session, our speakers will share how their work is reinventing affordable housing one community at a time—not just as physical spaces, but as platforms for upward mobility, community wellness, and resident empowerment. They’ll offer insights on aligning housing development with social supports, building strong local partnerships, and applying data-informed strategies that center equity, dignity, and long-term sustainability. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear how NHP and Operation Pathways are blending bricks, mortar, and mission to reshape the future of housing.
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