City and state officials have proudly announced a new large-scale development for the city, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. Reception levels to such news is for the communities in its vicinity remain to be addressed by local authorities. Should this development go forward as planned, neighbors in South Chicago will see little to no change to their lives. Yet, if this project aims to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South Chicago and the city as a whole, it must develop a lakefront.
The first step in making this a development worthy of occupying land in Chicago’s world-famous lakeshore is designing a mixed-use community. This implies that, although industrial production would be the development’s anchor, an attractive neighborhood would be introduced to welcome current and future communities.
Second, this development has to have a degree of energy self-sufficiency. It is acknowledged that quantum technology is very demanding for any power grid. To be a good neighbor, one must produce some of its energy on-site.
Finally, public landscapes must come first. This is especially important considering that this development may extend Chicago’s world-famous lakefront to important communities in South Chicago. Equally important is everyone’s access to the lakefront; after all, the city’s motto is “a city in a garden”. A garden without access is meaningless. Plus, the city’s most famous covenant, the one championing a “forever open, clear, and free” lakefront, must be brought forward when developing such an in-demand piece of land.
At present, waterfronts are some of the most important pieces of land being developed in most cities worldwide. These are being developed as attractive extensions of their cities that reach some of the world’s most beautiful bodies of water. Under our current development trends, these are the most sought-after pieces of land in any city. This extension to the Chicago lakefront has the opportunity to become its most productive section as a center of culture, economic investment, environmental mitigation and social infrastructure.
— Alejandro Saldaña Perales, Chicago
Humboldt Park
The article “Plan to close major homeless encampment sparks outrage” (Nov. 27) highlights the complexities of addressing homelessness in Chicago. As the CEO of La Casa Norte, an organization based in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood serving youths and families who are unhoused, I’ve seen firsthand how safe, stable housing transforms lives. As a former Chicago Park District commissioner, I also understand the vital role public spaces play in our communities and the importance of keeping them safe and accessible for everyone.
It is important to recognize the fears and uncertainties that encampment residents face during this transition. For many, the encampment is not just a place to sleep or a last resort — it’s also a community. However, Humboldt Park, like all parks, was never meant to serve as a home. Encampments in public spaces are symptoms of systemic failures, not solutions. Parks lack the safety, infrastructure and resources necessary to support people who are experiencing homelessness, especially during Chicago’s brutal winters.
Critics have described the closure of the Humboldt Park encampment as rushed and abrupt, but this perspective overlooks the extensive groundwork laid over the past 18 months and the compassionate approach taken to ensure its closure ahead of the harsh winter.
There is no perfect way to close an encampment, but Ald. Jessie Fuentes, 26th, has approached this challenge with a strong commitment to public safety and a well-coordinated strategy to provide meaningful solutions for homelessness. It is commendable that more than 100 households have been connected to housing pathways and provided with access to mental health resources, case management and other supportive services.
Plans are also underway to expand non-congregate shelter options in the neighborhood, including 43 youth beds that La Casa Norte is creating near the park, as well as to develop 450 affordable housing units already in progress in the 26th Ward. These efforts reflect a thoughtful, long-term commitment to addressing homelessness at its root.
Homelessness is not solved by tents in public spaces; it is solved by investing in housing, services and the long-term stability of our most vulnerable neighbors. This is where we should focus our advocacy efforts.
This moment is an opportunity to show that we can balance compassion with action. Let’s seize it.
— Jose M. Muñoz, executive director, La Casa Norte, Chicago
Climate change
Climate change impacts everyone, everywhere. Here in Chicago, Lake Michigan water levels have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade, a consequence of warmer fall temperatures accelerating evaporation. While a 3- to 7-inch decrease may seem minor, it has major effects. Not only does it disrupt ecosystems, but it also concentrates pollutants, impacts recreational activities and complicates vital shipping routes. With Lake Michigan serving as a critical commercial port, low water levels force ships to carry lighter loads, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in losses per trip — costs that ultimately get passed to consumers in the form of higher prices.
As a young adult concerned about the future of our planet, I believe strong climate policies are essential. The environmental crisis we face today is not only an ecological emergency but also an economic one. The frequency of extreme weather events, exacerbated by global warming, has already cost billions in recovery efforts. These costs will only continue to rise unless our elected officials take action.
As our country prepares for President-elect Donald Trump to take office, the urgency to act on climate change becomes even more significant. In this context, accelerating the clean energy transition is essential — not only to mitigate climate change but also to create new jobs in green industries and strengthen American energy security. As of 2021, 79% of planned wind energy projects were stalled in the U.S. construction permit process. This backlog highlights the need to streamline these processes so we can build more clean energy infrastructure.
The bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, co-sponsored by U.S Sens. Joe Manchin, and John Barrasso, is a crucial step toward addressing this challenge. By reforming outdated permitting processes, the bill aims to fast-track the approval and construction of renewable energy projects, potentially cutting carbon pollution by up to 25% by 2050.
Trump’s agenda prioritizes fossil fuel interests, posing significant risks to the economy and the environment. His nomination of Lee Zeldin as Environmental Protection Agency administrator — despite Zeldin’s ties to the oil and gas industry — raises serious concerns about the fate of federal environmental legislation.
As we approach this new administration, it’s imperative that we hold elected officials accountable for addressing the climate crisis, especially at local and state levels. Whether through a call, an email or a face-to-face meeting, your advocacy matters. The fight for our future begins at every level of government.
— Ava Cohen, Elmhurst
Wonderful memories
I loved reading Bob Brody’s op-ed “What my grandfather’s death taught me about ‘the end’” (Nov. 27). I’ve lost many loved ones, my first at about 10 years old, a too-young-to-die cousin killed in an auto accident at 21 years of age, to the crushing blow of losing my 45-year-old brother and our 21-year-old son to the same fate.
His op-ed is a wonderful peek into the times Brody shared with a special person in his life. This made me reflect on the many, many special times I spent with my brother, our beautiful son Rudy, and my wonderful now-deceased mom and dad and others. I, too, remembered my first White Sox baseball game (they lost to those Yankees) and my first Blackhawks game and taking all our kids to their first Notre Dame game in front of “Touchdown Jesus.” What wonderful memories and cherished moments that unfortunately can never happen again in the same way.
That said, keeping our lost loved ones on our minds and in conversation does in fact keep them alive in our hearts. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to give thanks for our life’s experiences, remembering times with our deceased loved ones and our time now with our existing loved ones.
We are creating wonderful memories now with our grandchildren, adult children, family and friends, and our deceased loved ones with us in our hearts, too. These shared moments will last us a lifetime before we, too, face “the end.”
— Bob Gorman, formerly Glen Ellyn, St. Louis
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