Darlene Hightower starts her new job at the Metropolitan Planning Council in January. (WTTW News)

The Metropolitan Planning Council just hired its first Black president and CEO. The nonprofit, which began in 1934, is an independent planning and policy organization that seeks to build a more sustainable and equitable Chicago.

The Chicago region is warming faster than the globe, experts say. (Alfred Derks / Pixabay)

The Chicago region is warming faster than the globe, says the newly sworn-in administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. How a new plan aims to take on the root cause of climate change: greenhouse gas emissions.

A southbound Metra Electric District train departs 79th Street station. (vxla / Flickr)

A new report outlines barriers faced by the elderly and people with disabilities when using public transportation and makes recommendations for improvements. “Access benefits everyone,” said one disability advocate.

Illinois spends more per pupil on school administration than almost every other state in the union, according to a new report. What the state is doing to address spending.

(hanmoohyun / Pixabay)

Despite an increase this week to the city’s minimum wage, many Chicagoans still aren’t earning what some researchers call a “living wage.”

A new report from the Metropolitan Planning Council makes more than two dozen recommendations to reduce the economic costs of segregation.

(Allen McGregor / Flickr)

Racial and economic segregation across Chicago impacts economic growth, educational attainment and crime rates, according to a report released Tuesday by the Metropolitan Planning Council and Urban Institute.

Debate over an Ashland Bus Rapid Transit line is heating up as community meetings take place this week to gauge public sentiment. We talk with Ald. George Cardenas (12th) and Metropolitan Planning Council Vice President Peter Skosey about the advantages and challenges facing this long-term project. Read an interview.