How It Works: Chicago’s City Council And The Mayor’s Office
We break down why the mayor has so much power, why aldermen get the last say in their wards and how that affects what happens in the city.
Solutions
Re-Imagine Chicago
We’re investigating how city government, community investment, public safety and schools work — or don’t work — in Chicago, and looking for your ideas to improve those systems.
Featured
![]()
Could A Ward Map Drawn By Citizens, Instead Of Aldermen, Become A Reality In Chicago?
Aldermen currently draw the ward map — resulting in weird shapes critics say empower politicians, not the people. One group is trying to change that.
![]()
How It Works: When Mayors Use TIFs To Steer Investment Dollars
Millennium Park, Lincoln Yards and INVEST South/West are three signature projects from Daley, Emanuel and Lightfoot. But what’s really going on?
![]()
Is it time for Guaranteed Basic Income in Chicago?
Mayor Lightfoot’s 2022 budget includes $31.5 million for a one-year cash assistance pilot. If approved next week, the city’s program would be the largest of its kind in the country.
![]()
Latest
![]()
LISTEN: Manish Jain Of Swaraj University On ‘Hacking’ The Education System
Education innovator says “hacking” the western education system is the only hope for transforming schools.
![]()
LISTEN: Obstacles To School Reform
One expert says entrenched interests like teachers unions block effective school reform.
![]()
LISTEN: Breaking The School-To-Prison Pipeline
A national teachers campaign argues that Black history curriculum in schools will stop the school-to-prison pipeline.
![]()
LISTEN: Transforming Public Education
How can we reimagine Chicago’s education system to better serve young people?
![]()
LISTEN: How To Implement Reforms At CPD
Two experts explain what police reform looks like within the Chicago Police Department — and why some reforms are harder than others to get done.
![]()
LISTEN: What If Police Had Fewer Responsibilities?
Reset examines what public safety would look like if more non-criminal 911 calls were diverted to crisis responders and not police.
![]()
LISTEN: Why Police Kill Virtually No One In Europe
Nationally, police have shot and killed about 950 people in the past year. How does that compare with other countries?
![]()
LISTEN: It’s Not Just CPD: Police Militarization’s Impact On Public Safety Nationwide
Reset talks to Radley Balko, the author of “Rise Of The Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces.“
![]()
LISTEN: Former Alderman Weighs In On Community Investment
Ameya Pawar helps us wrap up our series on how community investment and economic development could work better in Chicago.
![]()
LISTEN: Despite Consent Decree, Police Reform Remains Elusive
Calls for reform and even defunding Chicago Police have grown louder in recent years. But the pressure on the department to change is nothing new.
