Chicago’s Past, Present and Future

Had I known that this event was taking place I would have planned around it. But like most of the great social interactions that occur, planning couldn’t have produced a better experience.

The topic was what Chicago is going to be in 2109 – on the 200th anniversary of Daniel Burnham’s plan for the city. It was a discussion group hosted by the Chicago Humanities Festival at the Harold Washington Library. I took a special interest in today’s discussion because John Tolva was on the panel. John and I met for lunch a few weeks ago to not only to meet after following one another on Twitter, but also to revel in each other’s passion for the city – the urban environment.

The other panelists were Doug Farr, an architect and planner and Cheryle Jackson, former president of the Chicago Urban League and current candidate for the US Senate seat vacated by President Obama.

Each panelist had time to display their ideas of the future of Chicago. Doug Farr discussed LEED certifications and highlighted specific projects. He talked about zoning and cheekily encouraged city engineers to quietly exchange “minimums and maximums” – citing parking and square foot regulations. He also discussed the increased levels of obesity among Americans as an indication that our current built environment is putting us in harms way.

John Tolva talked about the ‘city as a platform” for problem solving. He suggested that the data available on any street corner – mobile phone transmissions, Wi-Fi connections, text messages, Tweets, GPS connections, CTA card swipes, pedometers in shoes and the like have the potential to demonstrate patterns if that data can be collected for statistical purposes. Then through the statistical modeling patterns can be encouraged or modified based upon social or monetary incentives, for example. John likes to examine movement through cities.

Cheryle Jackson discussed social and economic segregation. She spoke of the challenges facing residents of Chicago’s south side, such the absence of adequate public transportation, the absence of adequate grocery options, but pointed to solutions such as farmer’s markets that accept food stamps. She talked about reversing the trends that show that more African-American men in Chicago will go to prison than to college.

The second half of the presentation allowed for questions from the audience. Almost all of the questions had something to do with transportation – and specifically, how Chicagoans will move themselves through and increasingly dense urban environment.

Doug Farr envisions completely walkable neighborhoods where residents are just a few blocks away from the things that they need. John Tolva looks towards an increase in public transit coupled with bicycle accessibility. An interesting point was made in that Chicago’s current transportation networks are based primarily upon post-war (WW2) models. The fact is that very few, if any American cities have evolved past that post-war model.

As a former VP at Amtrak Cheryle Jackson fielded questions about high-speed rail and discussed the costs and losses attributed to the political clout of the highway lobbyists. She discussed how the privatized Chicago street parking has effected people in her neighborhood and how that has shed light on other problems as well as placing an emphasis on solutions.

As always, its a treat to be surrounded by so many people who care so deeply about their city – the 385 seat auditorium was sold out in advance. And even nicer to see planners, visionaries and politicians working together to create solutions, not to mention the fact that a senate candidate has the ability to talk about rail transit! A special thanks to the Chicago Humanities Festival for hosting this event.

I had a moment to chat with Cheryle Jackson following the event – we spoke about the CTA and Amtrak and how I sometimes commute between Ohio and Chicago on the train. She encouraged me to head out east and ride the Acela. “If you like Amtrak, you’re going to love the Acela,” she said.

(photo courtesy of John Tolva – click the photo itself for more information)

Taken for a Ride

If you’re curious as to why you deal with congested roadways every day, watch this video.

If you’re curious as to why our public transit systems have failed, watch this video.

If you’re curious as to why governments fund freeway systems rather than public transit systems, watch this video.

It’s possible to watch the entire video here, Taken For a Ride.

A Columbus resident sent me the link to this film earlier today.  Entitled “Taken For a Ride”, produced in 1996 by New Day Films, this documentary looks at how (and why) General Motors dismantled various public transit systems and began replacing them with their own vehicles.

The saying was, “What’s good for GM is good for America”.   I find it unfortunate that the Federal money spent on bailing out General Motors wasn’t earmarked in such a way that required them to rebuild what they had destroyed.  Rebuilding cities’ public transit systems could likely keep GM facilities running for decades to come.

Back on Amtrak – Part II

When I checked in at the Cleveland station the Amtrak attendant asked if I was familiar with the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago’s Union Station. I told him that I was (although I’d never been in).
“Good”, he said. “If you can arrive early there is a wine and cheese reception for our sleeper-car passengers. It’s quite nice, so do your best to get there early”.

I arrived at Union Station at 7:30p and entered the lounge. Not unlike an airline club room, the Metropolitan Lounge is outfitted with numerous groupings of sofas and chairs as well as several tables. A variety of hot and cold drinks are available at no additional cost as are light snacks. The lounge also has complimentary Wi-Fi service.

At 8p those of us booked on the 48/448 Lake Shore Limited were invited to board the train. We were escorted onto the platform, then to our appropriate car. This time my attendant was Mike. Not as pressed and proper as my previous attendant, but just as nice. He suggested I leave my things in my room and head to the dining car for the reception.

The dining car tables had been lined with white tablecloths and set with blue cloth napkins. There I was met by a impeccably groomed staff who offered a choice of wines, Shiraz or Chardonnay. Moments later an assortment of cheese and crackers were offered. There was never any need to ask for another glass of wine – each time the gentleman passed he filled the glass.

A woman joined me. She was about my age and traveling from San Antonio to Pittsburgh, stating that she was meeting her husband who preferred to fly. She told me that she takes the train whenever possible.
“This is an entire community on wheels”, she explained. “We’re in here watching the world go by with no cares and no worries”, she said. “And the people that watch us pass by have no idea about the world inside of this train”. She continued by telling me that she’d always lived near a rail line and enjoyed the sound and sight of passing trains. When I lived in Salt Lake City the sounds of passing trains just a block away would lull me to sleep.

Mike prepared my room and turned in for the night ride back to Cleveland. While I dozed off for a couple of hours here and there, the fact is that even at night, I was intrigued by the landscape and I often propped myself up to gaze out the window. Through rural Indiana and Ohio, passing through so many small communities, one can see that there are lives taking place right along the tracks. The stop at the Toledo train station always reminds me of an Edward Hopper painting.

When I was young our neighbor across the alley was a model railroader. Half of his basement was devoted to miniature landscapes through which his N-gauge railroad traveled. It felt as if I were inside that model railroad looking out at the landscape that was so meticulously created. Even during the night and even during the rain – I was captivated by what is just outside the window.

Including the tank of gas to and from Cleveland, my travel costs amounted to $380 round trip. That’s a $226 savings over a comparably purchased time-sensitive airline ticket. And for the $226 savings, I received sleeping accommodations, personal attention, a full breakfast (en-route to Chicago) as well as a well-planned social prior to departing Chicago. There were no lines, no security hassles, no stressed out passengers and plenty of space to stretch out or go for a walk and free parking at the Cleveland Amtrak station.

I’ll say it again – there is no more civilized form of transportation than that of travel by train.

Columbus Police Department – Creating a Bad Business Model

Let’s say that you own a little shop that is surrounded by a few homes.  Your shop sells just about everything your neighbors might need.  Your shop also has a few goodies – things that some people really want.  Some folks near your shop might save up for years to buy these goodies and a few have the means to pop in on a regular basis and splurge a little.

Let’s say too, that a few months ago the entire neighborhood decided to pitch in to make sure your little shop had enough money to stay in business.  Enough to fix the leaky roof, tuck point the exterior and pay for the heat and electricity.  Those are some really nice neighbors!

Several months later, one of your neighbors comes in to your shop and asks to buy some soap.   And as the shop keeper, you say, “We don’t have any soap.  I know you chipped in some money so that I could keep my little shop open, but I don’t carry soap any longer.  If you want soap, you should go somewhere else to buy it”.

A few days later, another neighbor comes into your shop and wants to buy a hammer and some nails.  In the past your little shop has always carried these items, but you’ve decided to stop selling them.
“This little shop – to which you’ve offered money so that I can remain in business, no longer sells hammers or nails.  If you’d like these items, you should go to another shop and buy them,” you tell your customer.

Sounds a little bit odd, doesn’t it?  What kind of shop owner would expect to stay in business under these circumstances?  First, the neighbors all chipped in to help out this shop owner, and then the shop owner decides to stop selling the very items that the neighbors need and want.  Worst of all – especially for the financial well being of this little shop, the owner suggests that the customers start buying what they want somewhere else.  It just doesn’t sound like a very solid business model.

Well, it seems that the Columbus police are doing the same thing.  Rather than responding to the needs of their neighbors, the very neighbors that decided to chip in and pay to keep their business up and running, the Columbus police have begun suggesting that their neighbors live somewhere else.  This, according to a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch, is taking place in various Columbus neighborhoods.

These suggestions are not a very wise business model.  After all, if the neighbors take this advice, there will be even less money available for the Columbus police department.

A better business model would be to make the neighborhoods safe and attractive so that other people would be willing to move in and increase the amount of money that the police department could earn through tax generation.

Back on Amtrak – Part I

When it was decided that I needed to get to and from Chicago with short notice and within a very specific time frame, my first thought was Amtrak.  And this is because I know the schedule in and out of Cleveland. Just in case, however, I checked the airlines.

Delta’s last minute prices were $606 round trip.  Had I gone with a less than ideal airline schedule I could have found something in the $300 range.  I determined that the $359 round-trip on Amtrak suited my needs perfectly.

Had I purchased a coach seat alone it would have cost $98 round trip, but I’ve always wanted a room on a train.  And with a meeting to attend at 07:30 Wednesday morning, I’d prefer to arrive feeling fresh and rested, so….why not get a room and rest properly.

As I boarded the train in Cleveland Sunday night I was greeted at the track and introduced to my steward.  “Ben will be taking care of you this evening”.  Ben welcomed me on board, escorted me upstairs and showed me to my room.
“Would you like your bed made up this evening sir?”  I told him that I’d hoped to sleep most of the way.  Within minutes things were ready.
“Shall I wake you for breakfast?”.  I thought an 07:45 breakfast seating would be in order.  Ben said he’d wake me at 07:30.

I slept through until the train stopped in Toledo.  The sharp curve of the tracks as they arc into the station have awakened me in the past, as they did early Monday morning.  Ben slipped the newspaper under my door while we were there.  I fell back to sleep for another hour once we left Toledo.

At 07:00 I decided to get dressed and I asked Ben if he could show me how to convert my room back into seats.  “I’ll take care of that for you sir.”  While he made up my room I poured a cup of coffee – a fresh pot had just been made and sat on a small credenza adjacent to the stairs.

I made my way to the dining car a bit before 07:30 and was sat with a couple from London – they were here traveling across the country over a span of  twenty-two days.  We exchanged travel stories and enjoyed breakfast together – I had french toast with bacon.  They had oatmeal and fresh grapefruit.  Fresh coffee and juice.

By 08:00 (07:00 central) the sky was brightening and the Indiana country side was illuminated with the autumn colors.   Here’s a video I took from the window somewhere between South Bend and Gary. (It’s nothing spectacular to watch, but I will say that I was intrigued with the number of nice houses we passed).

We arrived at Union Station twenty-minutes ahead of schedule.  Chicago’s a.m. rush hour was in full swing.
Check back later this week for a review of my ride back to Cleveland.  I’ve been made aware of something rather unique happening at Union Station on Tuesday night – so I’ll check it out and report back.  Stay tuned!

Prepare for Amtrak’s return to Columbus

Last year I took my first Amtrak trip.  A year later, I’m embarking upon my third.  Essentially it was curiosity that took me for my first trip.  Having used Germany’s ICE trains from Frankfurt to Berlin, Finland’s Bendalino and England’s commuter trains to and from Brighton, I wanted to see how Amtrak compared.

Despite the slower speed, 80 mph versus 155 mph of the ICE trains, the creature comforts are equal to if not nicer than the European counterparts.  The seating is spacious and the Amtrak staff far more pleasant than that of their European colleagues.  In fact, I’d have to say that a coach-class seat on Amtrak is a nice as Delta Air Lines Business Class to Europe!

Following my first Amtrak trip I decided to join the Amtrak Guest Rewards program which allows me to earn points towards future travel.  I tend to be very attuned to these types of programs – my past two trips to Europe were accomplished using points from my Sky Miles account.  I don’t necessarily go out of my way to earn points, but I’ve learned how to leverage my existing habits in order to do so.

One of the reasons I initially joined even though I hadn’t expected to be a regular Amtrak passenger, was to send a message to Amtrak that someone [else?] in Columbus is ready to embark upon enjoying reliable rail service – even if it means having to catch a train in Cincinnati or Cleveland.

There is a high probability that Amtrak will be serving Columbus very soon.  ODOT and Amtrak studies demonstrate the the 3C corridor will serve hundreds of thousands of passengers annually, most of whom will be Ohioans.   In preparation for the return of Amtrak service to Columbus why not sign up now and begin earning points towards your future travel.   By doing so, you too can send a message to Amtrak that more and more people in Columbus are ready to travel by train.

There are numerous ways to earn points prior to stepping foot onto a train.  Via the Amtrak Guest Rewards site, one can earn points by simply shopping for the things that one normally uses – a click-through service from the AGR site takes one to the merchants’ sites and there are over 150 every-day merchants to choose from.

Acela passengers (on North-East routes) receive extra points.  I’m also pleased to know that passengers flying on Continental can earn Amtrak points and with Cleveland as a Continental hub, this will be yet another attractive tie-in for Columbus residents.  I have to wonder why airlines in the North-East are still trying to compete with rail, when they could partner with Amtrak instead.

This coming weekend I return to Amtrak and this time I’ve booked accommodations to and from Chicago.  It was considerably more expensive than simply booking a coach seat though cheaper than flying at such late notice. I’ll admit though, that I’m looking forward to being fully horizontal during my night rides – as well as being able to arrive back in Cleveland fully rested so as to drive into work following my arrival.  I’ll be earning double points while I sleep!

I’ll rejoin you with an update following this trip and tell you more about the accommodations aboard Amtrak. In the mean time, have a look at Amtrak’s Capitol Limited photo pool on Flickr.

Not What I (W)expected

It was only a matter of time until I viewed the Luc Tuymans exhibit at the Wexner, though I didn’t expect it to be today.

Thanks to Twitter (@wexarts) I caught a tweet this morning about a short film showing at The Box entitled Killed.  Having never heard about the Farm Security Administration, I did some reading and thought I’d venture up to the Wexner to have a look.

I didn’t realize that the film was only a two-minute loop so I stayed and watched it over and over.  Perhaps the most interesting facet of the film was the placement of the punched hole in the now developed photographs.  The absence of an image became the focal point.  Might it be an editorial about editing?

Because I was already there I entered the Luc Tuymans exhibit.  I’d not heard of Tuymans but according to the review on the Wexner Center’s site, he is considered one of the most significant painters of his generation.  Having read that I determined that this is an exhibit I should see.

Prior to entering a space that contained the next portion of the exhibit, I expected to have a wide variety of images to ponder.  Frankly I expected more.  It was as if each gallery was an appetizer but I was never treated to the rest of the meal.

I recognized the northern European style in some of his works and I found his use of color and composition reasonable as well as pleasing.  However, I felt that there wasn’t enough work on display to capture my attention.

After having been described as a ‘rock star’ of an artist in Europe, I simply expected more.

20 Years Collide in 24 Hours

Twenty-some odd years ago I attended “1000 Airplanes on the Roof” in Salt Lake City. Billed as a one-man science fiction opera it sparked my interest enough to buy a ticket.  No one wanted to go along so I went by myself.  Captivated by the show’s dream-like presence, I left dazed – as if I’d witnessed someone else’s dream myself.

I’ve never met anyone who has seen it.

Last week while in Chicago Fish and I ventured to Millennium Park to see a series of performances by the Joffrey Ballet.  The show was free and thousands of people were in attendance.  Stacked three and four deep along the walls of the Pritzker Pavilion, on-lookers nudged and finagled for a view.

I’m not necessarily a ballet aficionado but I don’t mind it either.  It seemed like something interesting to do – so I agreed to go.  A second series of performances that night were entitled Age of Innocence performed to Philip Glass’ The Secret Agent, Symphony No. 3.  It was nothing less than captivating.

When I got home I looked up Philip Glass and remembered that I had investigated his work a couple years earlier.  I’d forgotten.  Well into the next day I continued my pursuits of his work and ran across something entitled “Pruit-Igoe”.

A week earlier I’d seen that moniker for the first time.  Thanks to a friend at St. Louis Public Radio I read about the redevelopment of North St. Louis and the history of the infamous Pruit-Igoe housing development.  Hailed by architects as the answer to urban decay, it itself, became an instant slum – and was demolished only 20 years after it’s construction.  Why, I wondered, did Philip Glass compose a work about Pruit-Igoe?

More research ensured, and then I discovered this clip

A film produced in 1982 entitled “Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance” had its sound track composed by Philip Glass.  In this scene, the Pruitt-Igoe housing project is imploded to a composition named the same.  And I’m captivated by an American composer whose composition includes references to the destruction of public housing.

Sunday afternoon following breakfast at a little cafe just beyond the Thorndale L stop, we took a stroll to an open house at a new building on the corner of Broadway and Granville.  Great views to the east, north and south!  A couple blocks east and south on Sheridan we spotted three open houses in one building.  Fish encouraged me to go up and have a look while he read the paper and waited along the street.

Riding the elevator up with the realtor a very talkative middle-aged man joined us.  He came along with us and entered the apartment with us.  I figured the realtor was killing two birds with one stone.  Inside, however, the talkative man went one way while the realtor took me another.  I summized that it was the talkative man’s apartment and indeed it was.

I noticed several reference to Alaska so I asked the man about his time there.  He went on and on about the wonderful winters  and I shared with him that I’d spent 10 consecutive winters in Alaska when I was flying for Delta.
“Really”, he said.  “I used to take that Delta flight to and from Alaska all the time”.
“Then you were probably on one of my flights”, I told him.  We talked some more, exchanging stories about our favorite places in Anchorage.

As we left the realtor said something about WGN – which sounded vaguely familiar.  I thought it was the NRP station in Boston – didn’t think anything of it and frankly thought it was a strange thing to bring up while looking at apartments.

By the time I got back down to the street nearly an hour had passed and Fish began to wonder what had happened to me while I was up in the building.
“What took you so long?” he asked.
“I got into a conversation about Alaska with one of the residents and it turns out he was likely on my flights years ago,” I told him.
“Who was he?”
“I have no idea.  Some guy named Tom,” I told him.  “The realtor said something about WGN.”
“Tom Skilling?”
“Maybe.”
“You were up there hanging out in Tom Skilling’s apartment talking about Alaska?’
“I don’t know his last name.”
“That’s Tom Skilling – the weather man from local news station.”
“He seemed like a nice enough guy.”

So there you have it.

Last night while continuing my research on Philip Glass my mouth dropped open as I discovered this:

He had been the composer for 1000 Airplanes on the Roof!  Oddly enough, or perhaps the memory had been triggered subconsciously by the Joffrey Ballet performance, I had told Fish about 1000 Airplanes during breakfast last Sunday.

Random occurrences separated by twenty some years had come full-circle in one brief 24 hour period while in Chicago.

The First 100 Days

It’s not that its hard work, it’s just that the timing is often difficult to manage.  My house has been on the market for about 100 days and I’ve had scores of showings.  The calls come at any given time of the day for showings – sometimes when I’m scheduled to be at work as well as when I’m not.  Regardless of the time, however, the house has to be in tip-top shape ready to be seen as a place where the visitor might be able to see him or herself living.  Traces of my life must vanish, at least for the hour that the house is scheduled to show.

It’s not as if keeping a clean house is difficult – but for the sake of the property showing well it’s important to keep the everything looking as if it’s a spec home.  The sinks need to be spot free and shiny.  The towels must be folded just right.  My usual stacks of notes, papers and magazines must be sorted and removed.  And because a request for a showing might come at any given time, it means having the place spotless every morning before leaving for work.  Its not hard work, it’s just antagonizing at times.

I’ve taken to turning on the lamps in each room to make the house glow in warm light though it ups my electric bill.  Some weeks I’ve mowed twice (weather permitting) so that the yard looks just right.  I’ve painted what I’d put off for a few years, finished applying the new moulding in the kitchen which I’d put off since the remodel was completed.  All of the windows have been replaced with dual thermal-panes, there’s a brand new roof, a new water heater, a 95% energy efficient furnace and added insulation in the attic and exterior walls.  The house has new siding and new front and side gardens.  I’ve also dropped the price by $9,000.

When my house went on the market in late May there were only five houses on my street for sale.  Now there are thirteen.  Granted, my street comprises the length of five city blocks, but out of 141 available houses, that’s almost ten percent – and just on my street.  As a friend and I discussed, all of us that have our homes for sale are competing, not necessarily on price, but for qualified buyers.  And it is a buyers market.

Because my move is being inspired by desire rather than necessity, I’ve not grown anxious.  I have, however, gained patience and understanding.

In Chicago the competition for buyers is far greater and it’s not uncommon to find a building that has multiple units available.  During the past weekend I viewed four of five units available in a twenty-unit building.  I’ve viewed studio apartments and three bedroom units.  I’ve viewed a one bedroom for $45k which had mold growing on the walls and I’ve viewed a $429k unit that had skyline views (the realtor called 20 minutes after my viewing to tell me that the price had dropped by $30,000 to $399k).  When a lake-front one bedroom on the 33rd floor showed up for $50k, the realtor was bombarded with telephone calls.

I’ve walked the neighborhoods in Chicago that I desire mile after mile and I’ve learned the bus and train routes that serve these neighborhoods.  I’ve talked to some of the neighbors.  I’ve stopped into various stores and shops to see who is shopping there – a very basic way to feel out the neighborhood without official data.  I dine at various neighborhood restaurants and coffee shops just to get a feel for who is there and what’s being said.

This is the first time I’ve lived through selling a house.  I grew up in the same house so I never experienced the waiting game.  Yet I remain confident.  Signs point to a stabilizing economy.  The Obama tax credit for first-time home buyers may likely bring a quasi land-rush in October.  Despite the number of available homes, my current house is one of the best cared for and most appealing on this street.  And as the deals for buyers get better and better in Columbus, they get better and better for me in Chicago.

Annexation and Taxation

Next week the City of Columbus is asking me to vote to raise my income tax by a half percent.  That’s not a huge increase in the overall amount I’d pay annually, but it does represent a 25% increase.

Over the course of nine years my property taxes have more than doubled.  They’re still at a reasonable rate and I can afford them, but a 100%+ increase is a lot.

Paying for schools, teachers and basic city services is something I can support.  Even some of the extras are nice.  Clean parks, clean river (someday maybe), adequate recreational facilities – the amenities that make life enjoyable.  I’m willing to pay for those things.

The challenge I have with the city asking me to raise my own taxes is that part of the reason we need more money to run this city is because of sprawl.  In 1970 Columbus comprised 146 square miles.  By the year 2000 the city was comprised of 220 square miles (click the photo above to see the larger map). Logically speaking, my tax dollars are now being spent to provide infrastructure to outlying areas rather than supporting and improving the existing infrastructure.

Trash collection, fire protection, police patrols – all of which require covering hundreds of square miles would be less expensive if the city served the same population within more  confined boundaries.  Roadway expansion is expensive and expensive to maintain.  Miles and miles of new gas lines, water lines and sewer lines must be built to connect these outlying areas.  At the same time, inner city neighborhoods sit idle – such as the near-east and near-west side.  Annexation has led to core neglect.

The land grab, designed I suspect to create a larger geographic tax base may be akin to gluttony.  It’s a model based on scarcity rather than abundance.  “Hurry up and get what you can before someone else gets it” rather than “let’s live well within our means”.

Perhaps the city was simply following the population trends and attempting to capture the tax revenue as it moved out.  The city could have, however, used its tax revenues to improve the existing environment as a method of preventing urban flight.

Certainly Columbus is not the only city that has attempted to use annexation as a growth formula and we’re not the only city facing financial difficulties.  Going forward, however, Columbus should stop spreading city services “out” and focus its resources on providing city services to a more centralized core.  A growth model of ‘up’ needs to be put into place.

Walker Evans makes similar comments (and states them better than I have here) at his site, The Walker Evans Effect.

I’ll consider raising my income tax by 25% if the city of Columbus can guarantee that the  additional revenue will not go to further annexation.