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
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Help Us Re-Imagine How Public Safety Works In Chicago
WBEZ’s “Reset” is investigating how Chicago systems and institutions work — or don’t work. We want your solutions; it’s time to think big.
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Latest
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Re-imagine Chicago: 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?
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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.
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LISTEN: Top City Officials On How To Improve Community Investment
Planning commissioner Maurice Cox and Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar share their ideas on equitable economic development in Chicago.
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LISTEN: TIF Critics On Equitable Development In Chicago
An alderman, a public policy expert and an organizer explain how they would like to overhaul tax increment financing districts in Chicago.
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LISTEN: How Lightfoot Administration Is Reforming TIFs
Chicago’s deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development explains how Mayor Lightfoot has reformed TIFs so far.
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LISTEN: How TIFs Work, How They Could Work Better
Chicago’s tax increment financing districts are meant to lift up communities. What are the benefits and drawbacks? And what needs to change?
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LISTEN: How Mayors Have Approached Community Investment
We explore how recent Chicago mayors have approached economic development and what neighborhood leaders say they need.
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LISTEN: Big Ideas To Supercharge Community Investment
A public bank. A tax on futures trading. A just cannabis industry. We explore how those ideas could change economic development in Chicago.
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LISTEN: How Do We Make City Government More Effective? (Cont.)
After a week of exploring how Chicago’s City Council and mayoral system work, we take stock of what we learned and what we can change.
