Bristol Place LEED-ND Master Wins Award
The Bristol Place LEED-ND Master Plan has won the award for “Best Neighborhood Plan” with the Illinois Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). CNU is a national organization which promotes walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities, and healthier living conditions. The Illinois Chapter of the CNU conducts an annual awards program to […]
Zone Champaign
Zone Champaign is a project in the Planning and Development Department to update the City’s Zoning Ordinance. The first phase of the update focuses on the districts in the core of the city including Downtown, Midtown, Campustown and the neighborhoods surrounding them. Changes to be considered include the regulations for the design and scale of […]
Alternative Routes to Shopping Districts North of I-74
With the holiday season approaching, the City of Champaign is encouraging motorists to use one of the many alternative routes to gain access to the North Prospect and North Neil shopping districts. Both of these corridors are highly trafficked and experience congestion during holiday seasons and other special events; like campus move in weekend and […]
October is National Community Planning Month
In honor of National Community Planning Month, the American Planning Association (“APA”) invited Urban Planners from around the State of Illinois to participate in an educational outreach program geared for middle school students. Two planners from the City of Champaign participated in the event, which took place on October 10th at Bloomington Junior High School. […]
Keep Champaign Beautiful – Litter Index Survey
As part of the Keep America Beautiful certification process, Keep Champaign Beautiful committee members conducted a Litter Index survey on Friday, October 17, 2014. The survey is designed to provide a baseline which affiliates can use to monitor educational efforts and determine if littering behavior is changing in the community. The Litter Index is an […]
Transportation Roundtable hosted by Congressman Davis
On Friday, August 22nd, Lacey Rains Lowe from the Planning and Development Department participated in a Transportation Roundtable in Springfield, IL. The Roundtable was hosted by U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL , Dist. 13) and former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Representatives from communities in District 13 and throughout the state had the opportunity to learn […]
Ameren Act On Energy Audit Update
The City of Champaign and Ameren Act On Energy are making progress on the energy audit and incentive program. This is an important step to accomplish the goal to ‘make housing more affordable by making it more energy efficient.’ The program provides free energy audits and an incentive increase for insulation and air sealing projects […]
What You Should Know Before Placing a Real Estate Sign
It’s that season–to buy and sell real estate; the City usually starts to see an increase in real estate signs being placed around town. The Champaign City Code provides specific regulations on the placement, number, and size of signage allowed. These regulations are intended to allow real estate agents to effectively market a property while […]
Outdoor Café Season in Full Swing
This year’s outdoor café season is in full swing in the Center City. The Planning and Development Department has currently issued 26 permits totally over 11,800 SF of public sidewalk with a capacity of 1,314 patrons. Since its inception in 1996, the outdoor café program has been credited as one of the major turning points […]
Visit Champaign County Toast to Tourism Event
Visit Champaign County (formerly the Champaign County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) held their second annual Toast to Tourism event on Wednesday, May 7th at the Spurlock Museum. The event features an overview of the impact of tourism on the local economy and recognizes community members with Tourism Impact Awards. A new VCC promotional video was […]