CUPPA Subject Matter Experts in the News Fall ’25

Introduction

Chicago Tribune / December 26
Associate professor of Urban Planning and Policy, Kate Lowe, was quoted in a Chicago Tribune story on CTA safety. Among her comments, she said, “There’s a lot of things that cause people distress, but it’s really hard to untangle what is really a risk to someone’s physical safety."

Daily Herald / December 21
P.S. Sriraj, director of the Urban Transportation Center, was one of three local experts to weigh in on various 2026 transportation topics. "University of Illinois Chicago Professor P.S. Sriraj speculates that with Amazon and Walmart already sending packages via drone in several states, “you may see a proliferation of drone deliveries” in 2026."

Block Club Chicago / December 16
Block Club Chicago referenced the upcoming law requiring study of crashes on North and South DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago by the Urban Transportation Center.

Herald & Review / December 15
In a story regarding new cameras in Decatur, IL for the purpose of surveillance referenced the City of Chicago-commissioned study conducted by Stacey Sutton, associate professor of urban planning and policy, and Nebiyou Tilahun, associate professor of urban planning and policy, that examined equity and public safety issues associated with the city’s automated speed enforcement program.

PA Times / December 12
In his eight part column in PA Times, Public Policy, Management and Analytics, teaching associate progression, Eric Devereux, writes about the crisis in American public administration and how to rebuild.

Crain's Chicago Business, Yahoo! News, WBBM AM / December 12
The Government Finance Research Center's work on Cook County property tax reform was referenced widely in media sources. The GFRC report authored with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning made thirty recommendations.

WTTW TV - Chicago Tonight / December 12
Juan Gonzalez, a senior fellow with the Great Cities Institute, appeared on Chicago Tonight to discuss the seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela.

WLS-TV ABC 7 / December 10
Urban Transportation Center director, P.S. Sriraj commented on the FTA directive to improve safety in the CTA in coverage on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's response to the directive. "Sriraj says he believes the solution is a combination of action from law enforcement, city and county stakeholders and messaging."

WMAQ-TV / December 9
In a story on 50 new laws passed by the Illinois General Assembly and set to start on January 1, SB 1507 was referenced. The bill requires UIC's Urban Transportation Center to conduct a safety review of traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, including crash data and potential AI camera implementation.

Shepherd Gazette / December 8
A story by Illinois News, "Bolingbrook's Evolution: Illinois News Unveils Future Prospects," references the work of the Urban Planning and Policy research on urban development trends in the Midwest in the article's related resources.

Chicago Tribune / December 7
Stukel Presidential Professor in the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics David Merriman addressed the city of Aurora's controversial cuts in its proposed 2026 city budget. Merriman told the Tribune, "that while he has no specific knowledge of Aurora’s budget, it is very possible to cover up holes in operating expenses by moving money from funds used for long-term activities into short-term uses."

Daily Herald / December 7
P.S. Sriraj director of the Urban Transportation Center, spoke to the Daily Herald regarding a fatal pickup truck, freight train accident in Elgin, IL on October 23 in the Herald's story, "Late warnings raise red flags in fatal train crash." Sriraj said, "I don't know why the (grade crossing) gates wouldn't have been down if they were functioning the right way they were supposed to be. It's a conundrum."

Chicago Tribune / December 6
In a story about Waymo self-driving taxis overcoming legal obstacles in Illinois to operate in the state, director of the Urban Transportation Center, P.S. Sriraj, noted that Chicago's street grid system would allow for easy Waymo navigating. However, he noted that the "jury is still out," when it comes to Waymo being able to handle the winter weather conditions in Chicago.

Washington Post / December 1
Teresa Córdova, director of the Great Cities Institute and professor of Urban Planning and Policy, was quoted in the Washington Post's story, "How Trump's ICE crackdown is impacting Chicago's economy."

UIC Today / November 24
NewsBreak featured the Great Cities Institute and how the institute has helped shape UIC and Chicago for three decades.

Engineering News-Record. / November 21
The Urban Transportation Center's Fall 2025 Seminar Series November session, "The CREATE Program: Accomplishments and Updates," was featured in Engineering News-Record.

Tribe / November 21 
The Tribe story, "Why some alderpeople are pushing back on Johnson’s budget proposal: borrowing, head tax and cuts to youth programs," featured a report by the Great Cities Institute. "Informing city budget development is a Chicago Budget Engagement Report released by the Great Cities Institute. The report reflects community engagement from various town halls across the city starting in June."

The Visualist / November 19
Urban Planning and Policy Associate Professor April Jackson was noted as a co-leader of the Housing Future Initiative in The Visualist's story on BREAKTHROUGH, a new immersive exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago. BREAKTHROUGH "blends historical documentation of ambitious HUD demonstration projects from the 1970s with new prototypes from The Housing Futures Initiative."

Block Club Chicago / November 14
Research by the Great Cities Institute (GCI) was noted in Block Club Chicago's story, Grace Manor Apartments Opens In North Lawndale, Bringing 65 Affordable Units To Ogden Avenue. GCI's work, "showed the Black population in the neighborhood dropped nearly 10 percent between 2010-2020. Around $124 million leaves Lawndale every year because there aren’t enough jobs for residents in the neighborhood and or the retail spots to spend at."

Chicago Reader / November 13
The Chicago Reporter featured the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy's (IRRPP) August report, The Three R's of Education in Chicagoland: Racism, Resistance, and Reform.Kasey Henricks, Maximilian Cuddy, Amanda Lewis, IRRPP director, and Iván Arenas, IRRPP senior associate director, "analyzed data on racial disparities from Chicago Public Schools and the Illinois Report Card to evaluate how past policy decisions have influenced issues like enrollment, discipline and achievement scores."

NPA / November 6
Nik Theodore, Center for Urban Economic Development director and Urban Planning and Policy professor, spoke to All Things Considered on National Public Radio on Nov. 6 regarding labor shortages in the construction industry and President Trump's immigration crackdown. "The roots of the labor shortage go back at least 25 years. In the early 2000s, as the labor shortage grew amid a building boom, immigrants were filling many of the openings, especially in residential construction. "Undocumented immigrants became a key source of profitability in the industry,"" he said.

Moneywise / November 6
A Center for Urban Economic Development report by Beth Gutelius and Sanjay Pinto was used in a Moneywise story on Nov. 6, "White House says SNAP will receive partial funding in November after Trump’s defiant post creates confusion — here’s what’s at stake for Americans."

The Daily Northwestern / October 29
Urban Planning and Policy Professor Kheir Al-Kodmany was featured in The Daily Northwestern discussing the role of public space design in revitalizing downtown Evanston. He noted that fountains enhance placemaking, but frequent programming and strategic low-cost improvements may have a stronger economic and social impact than extensive infrastructure repairs.

WHYY / October 17
WHYY of Deleware reported on a presentation given by Great Cities Institute senior fellow, Juan González, at the Delaware History Museum on Oct. 17. “There is a huge Latino population in the United States — over 68 million people today,” González said. “But there’s very little knowledge by most Americans as to how and why the Latino community of the United States developed because it’s a very complex community, more than 20 different nations and ethnic groups.”

CNN / October 16
Teresa Córdova, director of the Great Cities Institute, was quoted on CNN's "It’s killing business’: Trump’s mass deportation push is crushing local economies."

Investigate Midwest / October 6
Investigate Midwest spoke to Nik Theodore, professor of Urban Planning and Policy and director of the Center for Urban Economic Development (CUED), regarding the end of the Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE) program. He noted the uncertainty this has caused for workers in food and beverage manufacturing, in particular, and its impact on the food supply chain.

Storage Cafe / September
Urban Planning and Policy Professor Kheir Al-Kodmany was featured in an interview on trends shaping Chicago’s self-storage market, highlighting how urban density, smaller living spaces, and high population mobility are fueling demand across the city.

WalletHub / September
Urban Planning and Policy Professor Kheir Al-Kodmany shared practical advice with WalletHub on how drivers can reduce the cost of SR-22 insurance, emphasizing the importance of shopping around, maintaining a clean driving record, and asking about discounts to keep premiums low. He also cautioned that letting coverage lapse or failing to inform insurers about SR-22 requirements are costly mistakes that can lead to penalties or policy cancellation. Al-Kodmany noted that careful planning, transparency, and safe driving habits are key to managing insurance expenses and restoring one’s record over time.

Smoky Mountain News / October 10
The Smoky Mountain News referenced a Center for Urban Economic Development (CUED) report from 2024, "most front-line Amazon workers report making between $16 and $20 an hour, and that 45% earn less than $45,000 a year. Consequently, a third of Amazon workers have used one or more publicly funded assistance programs, including 23% who have used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program."

Fox13 Now / October 9
Urban Planning and Policy Professor Kheir Al-Kodmany was quoted on Fox13 Now regarding the Wallet Hub study comparing how all 50 states keep their residents safe, analyzing a list of factors including crime, financial safety, climate disasters and more. He explained what constitutes a "safe" community could vary, in reaction to the report.

WFLD-TV - FOX 32 Chicago / October 8
Teresa Córdova, director of the Great Cities Institute and professor of Urban Planning and Policy, was interviewed on Fox 32's The Chicago Report segment on how immigration raids make private contractors wealthy.  The seven plus minute interview notes Córdova's research and Crain's Chicago Business commentary focusing on how immigration crackdowns disrupt Chicago’s economy while fueling corporate profits for private detention companies.

Illinois Policy / October
The 2022 "Red-Light and Speed Cameras" final report by Urban Planning and Policy Associate Professors Stacey Sutton and Nebiyou Tilahun was referenced in an Illinois Policy story, Chicago Speed Cameras Hit 3-Year Ticket High In July.

CBS Chicago / September 20
CBS Chicago Saturday on Sept. 20 reported on the need to address water infrastructure in Cook County. CBS noted that the county will be teaming up with the Government Finance Research Center to address future water infrastructure funding, with recommendations expected in 2027.

UPI / September 20
On Sept. 20, UPI noted Rob Paral's quote in the New York Times from early September, "There are at least 150,000 undocumented immigrants living in Chicago." Paral is a senior research specialist in the Great Cities Institute.

Chicago Sun-Times / September 15
Kate Lowe, associate professor of Urban Planning and Policy, commented on a Chicago Sun-Times story on the transit 'fiscal cliff' in comparison to the same issue experienced n Philadelphia. "State lawmakers put the funding discussion on the “back burner” while focusing on transit reform.“Regardless of one’s perspective on reform, more work on funding needed to come earlier,” she said."

MSN.Com / September 9
In an Associated Press story appearing on MSN.com, Nik Theodore, director of the Center for Urban Economic Development and professor of Urban Planning and Policy, discussed the trend of workers waiting outside of Home Depot. Theodore said, “Home Depot is not an innocent bystander in all of this. Their sources of success were instrumental in catalyzing this change.”

New York Times / September 9
In the NYT story, "Who Are Chicago's Immigrants," Rob Paral, a demographer at the Great Cities Institute, was quoted, "Chicago has been very chill about immigration. It’s not a radioactive issue here.” Paral's research provided figures on Chicago's resident populations.

WGN Radio 720 / September 6
"Mike Stephen learns about a new way to explore Illinois finances through the Fiscal Futures Data Hub with UIC professor David Merriman."

NPR's MarketPlace / September 5
Beth Gutelius, a senior research fellow in the Center for Urban Economic Development (CUED) was interviewed in a story on "Quarterly demand for industrial warehouses sees first drop in 15 years." She said, "more often than not, the way warehousing goes, so goes the rest of the economy."

The Times Weekly/ September 4
A Great Cities Institute report released last year, was cited in a Sept. 4 The Times Weekly story, "Gov. Pritzker Braces for ICE Actions in Chicago, Warns Against Trump’s National Guard Deployment." The report, Fuerza Mexicana: The Past, Present, and Power of Mexicans in Chicagoland, noted that "Chicago has one of the largest Latino populations in the nation, and 74% of that group are of Mexican heritage."

Crain's Chicago Business / September 4
Immigration crackdown deals a blow to Chicago's Latino business corridors
Great Cities Institute director and Urban Planning and Policy professor, Teresa Córdova, discussed GCI's research and data analyzing the economic effects of Trump’s crackdown on immigrant retail corridors in Crain's Chicago Business on Sept. 4. The research was used for the article,

Crain's Chicago Business / September 4
Let's consider who's profiting from the detention center business
Great Cities Institute director and Urban Planning and Policy professor Teresa Córdova's commentary appeared in the Sept. 4 Crain's Chicago Business.

Block Club Chicago / August 27
AI Use And Data Centers Are Causing ComEd Bills To Spike - And It Will Likely Get Worse
"The Great Lakes region’s cooler climate and abundant water supply have drawn data centers since the servers require tons of energy for cooling, so milder climates reduce the need for power, said Christelle Khalaf, associate director at the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois Chicago."

Chicago Sun-Times / August 25
A decade ago, the city committed to eliminating traffic deaths by 2026. It's not even close.
"But Chicago has not made similar progress, in part because it’s not invested enough at redesigning its dangerous roads, says Kate Lowe, a professor at University of Illinois Chicago’s urban planning and policy department.

PA Times / August 22
Understanding the Current Crisis in Public Administration: Part 4 – Aging Infrastructure
Erik Devereux, teaching associate professor, in the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics, penned a series, which "invokes plate tectonics as a metaphor for thinking about what has transpired with the federal government since January 20."