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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

factually informative but could use a little more perspective
This book is a blow-by-blow history of zoning in Chicago, showing how zoning became more and more restrictive over time.In Chicago, as in suburbia, government regulation sought to make the city more suburb-like: to require lower density and more parking every decade.

For example, the authors describe the 1942 zoning code as part of "an era of great innovation."Why?Because the city limited the intensity of development and required off-street parking for apartment buildings. In 1967, the city put more teeth in these rules by becoming less permissive towards variances; in the first third of 1967, it granted 86 percent of all variance requests, while later in the year it granted only 49 percent.

In 1971, the city went even further, requiring one parking space per dwelling unit, limiting the number of efficiencies in an apartment building, and requiring sideyards for apartment buildings. Even the city's 2004 zoning code (which in some ways tried to make the city more pedestrian-friendly) limited density even further in some areas.In addition, the code required any downtown building over 440 feet tall, and some residential developments as well, to be submitted as "planned developments" (thus requiring developers to negotiate details with the city) rather than through a less bureaucratic "as of right" procedure.

As historically interesting as this book is, I wish the authors had been more critical of this trend.The authors seem to write from the point of view of anti-density, NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) neighborhood activists, overlooking some of the unintended consequences of Chicago's regulatory trends.For example, if a city limits density in a desirable neighborhood, fewer people can live in that neighborhood- and many of the people priced out of the most desirable city neighborhoods will move to suburbia rather than to less desirable city neighborhoods.And every bit of land devoted to parking is a bit of land that could have been devoted to commerce or housing, thus possibly contributing to Chicago's decline in the late 20th century.And where parking is free or cheap thanks to a government-mandated ample supply, driving to work becomes more tempting than public transit, with negative environmental consequences. And more broadly, if development in a city is a bureaucratic hassle, and development in suburbia is "as of right", suburbia will become more tempting.

Yet after writing about the numerous ways in which government limited height and density, the authors write that despite the city's population losses, the zoning code "continued to encourage high-rise, high-density development."Do the authors really believe that Chicago be better off at a Detroit-like density?The failure of Detroit suggests otherwise.

Great for People who Love Chicago
Reviewed by Kathleen Dowdell for Reader Views (6/06)

For people who love the city of Chicago or who are interested in the intricate details of how cities are laid out to accommodate diverse activity, this book was meant for you. This is a well written and thoroughly researched documentation of the history of zoning in the city of Chicago. Zoning, regulations that separate residential and industrial activity, is a complex process whose idea germinated from Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago, which supported the need for the city to control its cultural and economic identity. After years of planning and drafting, the Chicago City Council adopted the zoning ordinance on April 5, 1923, thus the beginning of the development of Chicago as we see it today.

As zoning needs changed in the 1950's, planners sought to establish Chicago as a world- class city and used zoning to do just that. They began to promote high-rise, high-density office and residential development based on population forecasts which predicted dramatic growth in the city. As controversial as zoning became over the years, the city gained much experience in working with developers, residents, and grass-roots organizations that wanted a say in how their neighborhoods were being developed. Skyscrapers were shooting up everywhere and many were concerned they would smother the openness of the retail districts and views of the lake. Over the years, height and volume limits increased making Chicago what it is today, the architectural genius and much coveted work/leisure city of the world.

Published in 2006, "The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago" gives a brief overview of the early development of Chicago from the time it incorporated as a village in 1833 through today. There are some interesting aerial views of the city as well as residential and commercial developments. This would make a nice gift for an architectural historian or people who work in commercial or residential planning and development.

Strongly recommended for all readers with an interest in the culinary arts
A Cook's Guide To Chicago: Where To Find Everything You Need And Lots Of Things You Didn't Know You Did by Marilyn Pocius is expanded and updated second edition of an informed and informatively detailed exploration into the great city of Chicago's tasty delicacies and dishes. Inclusive of recipes ranging from Yucca With Marilyn's Mojo; Genna's Spinach Risotto; and Lee's Borscht to Pickled Pink; Double-Ginger Rhubarb Chutney; and Chef Tim's Vietnamese-Style Pork Tenderloin, A Cook's Guide To Chicago offers readers not only the addresses, histories, and tastes of remarkable restaurants, but easy-to-follow and "kitchen cook friendly" recipes from them as well. A Cook's Guide To Chicago is very strongly recommended for all readers with an interest in the culinary arts and for those wishing to discover the most intriguing culture of the amazing Chicago area.
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How did glaciers affect the land of Illinois? Why has Illinois always been a center for transportation? Which Illinois county grows more corn than any other? You can find the answers to these questions in this book, which contains all kinds of fun and fasc

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John Thompson provides a historical account of the development process, sectoral conflicts, and outcomes related to major alterations of land and water relationships, as well as habit changes, caused in the valley downstream from Peoria by the large-scale reclamations for agriculture and the post-1900 intrusion of large volumes of waste water from the Sanitary and Ship Canal of Chicago. Thompson examines the history of the land drainage movement and the inevitable environmental changes caused by the intensification of urban and rural land use in the Midwest between sixty and one hundred years ago. He shows how institutions of land drainage were organized and operated and how the nascent drainage engineering and contracting sectors functioned. Focusing on the lower valley, Thompson also deals with drainage as it affects the nation, the Midwest, Chicago, and downstate Illinois.Thompson is the first to address the array of interrelated physical, economic, and political circumstances caused by the development of competing and incompatible uses for the waters and the floodplain of the Illinois River when large-scale land reclamation and great volumes of water from Lake Michigan and Chicago changed land and water relationships, destroyed a major riverine fishing industry, and severely damaged renowned waterfowl hunting grounds. ... Read more

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Publisher: Urbana : Illinois State Geological Survey, University of IllinoisPublication date: 1916Subjects: GeologyNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This book an EXACT reproduction of the original book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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An introduction to the state of Illinois, its geographical features, people, and history. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Illinois River boat people will love this book
If you are "into" the river, from the Midwest or love boating, you will love this book.It's not for the casual reader who loves beautiful pictures.It is an individual, personal and moving tale through one person's "very personal feelings" about boating the Illinois River and those feelings and views.Very worth the price for a lover of all this.

Excellent book!
Gary Marx paints a facinating picture of the history and geography of the Illinois River and peoples it with such interesting individuals and their stories! The gorgeous photographs of Daniel Overturf and the maps tie it all together. You do not have to live in Illinois to enjoy this book but it makes you want to live there! I recommend it highly.A River Through Illinois ... Read more