What We Do — And Don’t — Know About Chicago’s Lead Water Problem
The mayor announced a plan to replace the city’s lead service lines. So what does that mean for Chicago residents and the water they drink?
Listen — 10:56
Shows
Curious City
Get the podcast
Get the podcast
Follow
About
WBEZ’s Curious City series is an ongoing news experiment at WBEZ, online and on the radio dial around Chicago at 91.5 FM. Its mission is to include the public in editorial decision-making, make journalism more transparent and strengthen multimedia coverage about Chicago, the surrounding region and its people (past or present).
Curious City airs on Thursdays during All Things Considered on WBEZ
Recent
![]()
What A Murder In My Family Reveals About Chicago’s Chinese Gangs
Reporter Monica Eng digs into her family’s past to answer a listener’s question about the history of the city’s Chinese gangs.
![]()
Listen — 12:29A Tavern On (Almost) Every Corner: Why Did So Many Chicago Bars Disappear?
Demographic shifts, changes in attitudes towards public drinking and the politics of the Daley family led to the shuttering of many Chicago bars.
![]()
Listen — 12:17When The Eisenhower Expressway Moved In, Who Was Forced Out?
The Ike was the city’s first superhighway. In this special presentation, people affected open up about how it scattered ethnic neighborhoods and changed many lives forever.
![]()
Listen — 13:53How To Read Chicago’s COVID-19 Dashboard
Why are there two different positivity rates? Why do cases drop on the weekend? Here’s how to make the numbers add up.
![]()
What Happened To Chicago’s Japanese Neighborhood?
Lake View once had a thriving Japanese community, but it fell victim to a push for assimilation. As one Japanese-American puts it: “You had to basically be unseen.”
![]()
Listen — 13:48The Chicago-Invented Delicacies That Help Define The City’s Food Scene
With the “Curious City Scavenger Hunt: Chicago Eats Edition” now underway, we’re revisiting a story about foods created right here in Chicago.
![]()
Listen — 13:03Your Questions About Recycling And Composting In Chicago, Answered
A panel of experts and policymakers discuss the city’s struggling recycling program — and how to make it better.
![]()
Listen — 7:53A Panel Of Experts Weigh In On How To Improve Recycling In Chicago
WBEZ’s Jerome McDonnell sat down with a group of policymakers to talk about what does and doesn’t work with Chicago’s recycling program.
![]()
Listen — 53:12Was There A Burial Mound In Chicago Shaped Like A Lizard?
A listener noticed an odd detail on an old map. Curious City investigated whether it was the site of an ancient burial mound.
![]()
Listen — 12:53
