Category Archives: Civic Life

Interview Reveals (mostly) All

Jim Jacoby of the American Design and Master-Craft Initiative and Jim Cohen of BeSparked interviewed me in July for this series of master designer podcasts. What, you may ask, do I have to do with design? Ah ha! You’ll just have to listen to this wide-ranging 47 minute interview where I talk about my background in the arts and the connections between design, space and civic engagement. If you do listen – please comment at the bottom of the podcast web page.

CivicLab Profiled In Progress Illinois

Tom teaches-Ellyn_FortinoThe CivicLab was profiled in the June 27th edition of Progress Illinois.

“July marks one year since the CivicLab, a non-profit organization, opened its “democracy design studio” in the West Loop of Chicago.

Looking ahead, one of the CivicLab’s co-founders says big plans are in the pipeline for year two of the co-working space, which is dedicated to collaboration, education and innovation for social change and civic engagement.

Seven organizations focused on issues such as housing justice, voter registration and health care are currently working out of the CivicLab’s storefront, located at 114 N. Aberdeen St.

Other activists, designers, educators and tech experts also gather and do research at the space, which is housed in a rehabbed 1890s firehouse that sits across the street from Harpo Studios, where “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was previously filmed.

In addition to offering a place where people can collaborate, the CivicLab hosts educational workshops and is behind the volunteer-based TIF Illumination Project, which is working to promote transparency around Chicago’s controversial tax increment financing (TIF) program.” [read the full article]

Take The “Future of TIFs in Chicago” Survey

The TIF Illumination Project has Illuminated 147 TIFs across 25 wards. Over 2,000 people have been at these meetings and over 40 media stories have been written about our work. We’d like to know what YOU think should now be done with or to the TIF Program in Chicago. Remember, in 2012 TIFs extracted almost $500 million in property taxes from Chicago property tax payers.

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY. THANK YOU!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

CivcLab Loft Space Available June 1!

Come June 1st, the lo114 Aberdeen-cropped-smallft space at The CivicLab will be available! We have a great location in the West Loop blocks away from the Morgan St. El stop, and the Hasted Bus. Amenities include a full kitchen, private bathroom, conference room, business class Internet access, cheap copies, a shop for building stuff and a space for classes and events. Most importantly – a community of fabulous co-workers doing amazing projects to advance the public good. Become part of America’s only co-working space dedicated to civic engagement and social justice! For information, contact Benjamin Sugar at cowork@civiclab.us. Learn more about our space.

 

TIF Projected Highlighted at IL Conference on New Urbanism

http://issuu.com/cmrenner/docs/cnu-conference-final-20140325 – Free download of presentations and material from 2013 conference on new ways of doing urban development. We did a piece on the TIF Illumination Project. Also great stuff on how Rockford is using creativity and the arts for economic development and Naomi Davis presenting on her vision for grassroots community development.

CNU-Conference-2013-About TIF-screen