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Friday Open Thread

What were Chicago’s most important developments over the last decade?

Which new skyscrapers, parks, and transit stops had the biggest impact in the last 10 years?

Open Thread: Which abandoned buildings should be redeveloped in Chicago?

Tell us what you’d like to see there instead

Open Thread: How do you really feel about the name ‘Chicago West’?

Kim and Kanye West named their third child Chicago

Should the John Hancock Center keep its name if sold?

Is a name worth saving?

Open thread: Could Chicago actually land Amazon’s second HQ?

Amazon says their new HQ would mean billions in new investment

Which Chicago sites are the most likely candidates for Amazon’s HQ2?

Mayor Emanuel has not revealed info on which developers are looking to enter the HQ2 contest

What are Chicago’s biggest transit mistakes and missed opportunities?

The city likes to boast about its robust public transit system, but where does it fall short?

Which Chicago neighborhoods are the most bike and pedestrian friendly?

And which neighborhoods stand to improve?

Open thread: Which Chicago buildings have the most beautiful interiors?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Which Chicago megadevelopment needs to happen the most?

City-altering proposals are popping up left and right, but which is the most crucial concept for Chicago?

Open thread: Should the Green Line be extended to Jackson Park?

The Obamas have touted the presidential center’s potential economic impact, but what about transit?

What kind of developments make sense for Chicago’s North Branch?

With City Hall removing barriers for new development, what should the corridor look like in the future?

How will Illinois’s historic budget impasse affect Chicago’s development boom?

Illinois finally has a budget.

What’s the best part about being in Chicago during the summer?

From music festivals to outdoor movies, Chicago really comes alive during the summer months.

Open thread: What do you think of the Union Station redevelopment plan?

Is Riverside Investment & Development’s master plan a hit or miss?

Open thread: Which Chicago buildings should be landmarked in 2017?

Construction booms can spell trouble for older, sometimes significant buildings.

How much was the rent at your first Chicago apartment?

Rents have been on the steady rise across the city, causing hardship on many residents.

What would you change about the Obama Presidential Center plan?

The president says that the game-changing campus could be delivered in four years.

A few ways to give back to Chicago on Earth Day

Readers suggest simple ideas like not buying bottled water to complex ones like reversing the Chicago River.

Open thread: What are some simple ways to help keep Chicago clean and green?

How do you plan on giving back for Earth Day?

Open thread: What should become of the Thompson Center

State lawmakers continue mulling over the sale of the postmodern Thompson Center.

Open thread: What do you want to see at the Obama Presidential Center?

The Obama Foundation has been stepping up its efforts to engage with Chicago residents on its plans.

Open thread: Do you plan on leaving Chicago?

New data from the US Census Bureau revealed a second straight year of population decline in Cook County.

Open thread: Which transportation system should be renamed after Barack Obama?

State legislators are seeking to rename parts of interstate highways after President Obama.

Open thread: What changes do you want to see on the 'L'?

Many CTA improvement projects are underway, but what do you want to see?

Open thread: How would the O'Hare express train work?

What do you think the proposed Downtown-O’Hare connector look like?

Which Chicago neighborhoods do you think will be the hottest in 2017?

Which neighborhoods do you think will see substantial growth and demand this year?

Open thread: What’s on your 2017 Chicago development wish list?

No idea is too big or too small—we want to hear ‘em all.

Open thread: Which are the best neighborhoods for catching holiday decorations?

Do your neighbors have a Christmas display worth checking out? We want to know the best streets to visit for this holiday season.

Which activities help you get through Chicago’s winter?

It’s not gotten cold in Chicago yet, but it’s coming

Which new high-profile university project is your favorite?

Chicago’s various institutions have added a number of striking buildings to their campuses in recent years

Open thread: How much longer will the current development boom last?

Chicago’s real estate market could be hit hard in the case of any economic downturn

Open thread: What’s the smallest Chicago apartment you’ve ever lived in?

Compare your stories in the comments section!

What is your Chicago public transit dream project?

More Chicago commuters are ditching their cars and using public transit to get to work

Open thread: Which are Chicago’s best outdoor plazas?

Does Chicago have enough open spaces in its dense downtown area?

Open thread: What will you call the White Sox’s stadium?

Mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate has purchased the naming rights for the South Side stadium

Open thread: How did moving to Chicago work out for you?

Boomers are leaving Chicago for warmer places, but young workers are flooding in

What should Chicago do with its vacant corporate campuses?

As corporate cultures and demographics shift and more people want to work, live, and even raise families in the city, some have predicted that suburban corporate campuses will go the way of the dodo bird. How can these facilities be reused?