UK is so NIMBY they’ve created a AI-supercharged objection software to flood local gov’ts with comments. "The ban on email submissions has had a particular impact on ObjectNow, a service which generates objection letters to planning applications with the help of AI."

AI flooded the Scottish Government with wind farm objections. So they stopped accepting emails

The Scottish Government says the move was needed to tackle the "burden" caused by the growth in AI-assisted objections to energy projects. Critics say it is a way to mute public opposition.

theferret.scot

We're working with @metroabundance.bsky.social to collect cost drivers in California building codes and standards above and beyond national model codes/standards. See here for more – please circulate among architects, engineers, etc. in the state! admin.centerforbuilding.org/wp-content/u...

Rough estimate is that plumbing and electrical codes in Chicago that are not present in other large cities or even the inner prewar suburbs of Chicago have added about $50,000 - $75,000 to the commercial build-out costs for my bar.

William Skudlarek@willskud.bsky.social · 6d ago

“In the second category of reducing the cost of construction, we need to update our building code to make it cheaper to build while ensuring safety. Every building does not need copper pipes when PVC is much cheaper."

“In the second category of reducing the cost of construction, we need to update our building code to make it cheaper to build while ensuring safety. Every building does not need copper pipes when PVC is much cheaper."

Chicago Tribune@chicagotribune.com · 6d ago

Commentary: Chicago has lost close to a million people over my lifetime. The next mayor of Chicago has to change this. We have to reduce the cost of housing so people can stay in the city and we can attract new people.

Washington Building Official Association (WABO): We want to require that when elevators are installed in any multifamily housing (vs. current req. of 4+ story buildings), at least 1 must fit a stretcher. WA State Building Code council: Can you quantify the costs and benefits of this change? WABO:

This is just to say I have OCRed the text thet was in tne arch:ve and whicb yov were prabaldy seamhing for "breahtast" Fargme ms fheg mem debo:w5 sb ?mccf mmb 5c oc1b

American transit agency officials taking advice from their international peers 🥹

Tom Roussey@tomroussey.bsky.social · 2w ago

The #wmata board is hearing from representatives of the London & Copenhagen transit systems. Copenhagen told Metro’s board outdoor platform doors have more potential issues than indoor ones - they had problems with customers falling after ice formed near them.

Vital skill for navigating any policy spectrum: recognize the difference between those who criticize a project because they want it to be better, and those who criticize it because they want it to be destroyed.

William B. Fuckley@opinionhaver.bsky.social · 2w ago

I have a ton of criticisms of cal HSR but I am not willing to hear any from republicans of it, considering their problem is that it exists at all

www.mimbyoakpark.org

"But expanding IMAX 70mm is a different challenge. IMAX says exhibitors aren’t building enough auditoriums capable of housing its towering 1.43:1 screens because of the high construction costs." If IMAX const. costs are high enough to prevent 70mm expansion, that’s an indictment of IMAX’s standards

Why Aren’t There More Imax 70mm Screens for ‘The Odyssey’? ‘It’s Not Practical,’ Company Says

'The Odyssey' has spiked interest in IMAX70mm showings, but the company explains why building more is 'not practical.'

variety.com

"The request for proposals comes as some of the CTA’s peer transit agencies have experimented with modernized fare gates designed to help deter fare evasion" "The CTA said it had been in touch with some other agencies about their efforts to improve their fare gates.”

CTA looks for new gates to help deter fare evasion

The Chicago Transit Authority is seeking proposals for improved fare gate technology that could help deter fare evasion.

chicagotribune.com

RTA, on their own accord, asked engineering firm TYLin to review current service planning efforts by the service boards and recommend improvements to the process ahead of NITA. TYLin presented their unsurprising findings along with some basic recommendations to the board today:

I have a few quibbles with this video (for one, I don’t think its good idea to equivocate point access blocks (PABs) and single-stair b/c Chicago has two-stair PABs) but by and large I think this is a good overview of single-stair/PABs and their benefits, along with good context on other code issues

Eric Erins@ericerins.bsky.social · 3w ago

Stewart Hicks put out a pretty great video on Single Stair this morning. Including a surprise appearance from @govpritzker.illinois.gov youtu.be/7sfoLUumGnc?...

Building codes aren’t the only laws that we abidicate the responsibility to a private org for, we also do it with Medicare billing codes! The conflict of interest for the AMA to develop billing codes that are used in paying its members is pretty bad. Even the ICC isn’t as egregious as that.

Dan Diamond@ddiamond.bsky.social · 3w ago

New: Trump officials, having criticized Medicare’s billing-code system, are now asking the public to help change it. The American Medical Association’s CPT codes are a “monopoly,” the administration says, calling for suggested fixes or even alternatives.

Last summer David Pileski signed onto a letter pushing back on NITA’s statutory development authority, board composition, voting structure, and service standards/funding distribution powers capitolfax.com/2025/06/25/d...

William Skudlarek@willskud.bsky.social · 4w ago

The last collar county, DuPage, finally has gotten around to revealing its new NITA board appointees. Current RTA board member John Retondo (fmr LIUNA exec) is being moved to Metra. And then Roselle Mayor David Pileski is appointed to NITA/Pace.

The last collar county, DuPage, finally has gotten around to revealing its new NITA board appointees. Current RTA board member John Retondo (fmr LIUNA exec) is being moved to Metra. And then Roselle Mayor David Pileski is appointed to NITA/Pace.

William Skudlarek@willskud.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Since the NITA became law on June 1st, Collar counties are starting to address their new NITA board appointments. McHenry, Lake, and Kane Counties are all close to finalizing their appointments (cc @starlinechicago.bsky.social, @stevevance.net):

Johnson’s NITA appointees will be considered by the Transportation committee at their July 14 meeting (not clear if its just a vote or if the appointees will be present for questioning) occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattac...

Star:Line Chicago@starlinechicago.bsky.social · 4w ago

Keeping Barclay but taking a pass on Requejo is a real choice

An even more egregious example of a Chicago bldg that screams for single-stair. It’s even arranged the same way (4 units/floor) but with nowhere near the efficiency. A 8.6k sq. ft. floorplate (!!, a quadruple lot plat!) nets out only 16 units in a 5 story bldg. chicagoyimby.com/2026/07/mixe...

Stephen Jacob Smith@stephenjacobsmith.com · 2mo ago

Lowercase-a affordable 2BR/2BA's shrunk significantly because the Chicago Fire Department can't accept even three-story single-stair buildings like the rest of the country has for decades. Rear stairs can't replace single-stair for all lot shapes and zoning. chicago.urbanize.city/post/residen...

MBJ appointing Dennis Mondero as his dual NITA/Metra director means that Metra will have at least two former CTA execs on its board: Mondero (Deputy COS & CAO, 2009-13) & Romayne Brown (VP of Rail Ops 2009-10). As it stands, CTA’s board will have zero.

Mayor Johnson: >gets rid of probably the most transit-oriented CTA board member >reappoints a CTA board chair openly skeptical to the idea of NITA and a pastor...

Screaming Lilo

ALT: Screaming Lilo

static.klipy.com

Star:Line Chicago@starlinechicago.bsky.social · 4w ago

Keeping Barclay but taking a pass on Requejo is a real choice

Thankfully AIA Michigan was unsuccessful in its efforts as the MI legislature passed their set of single-stair bills today to allow single-stair buildings up to four stories! Heads to Gov. Whitmer’s desk for her signature next.

William Skudlarek@willskud.bsky.social · 2mo ago

wtf is going on in Michigan with their single-stair bills. Supported by cities/townships AND by the fire service (at least partially) but blanket opposition from the architects??? Even the firefighter union only indicated opposition to the 5-6 story bill!

If you want a summary of the current logic informing virtually all U.S. building codes, this graph from a 20+ year old article from a couple British fire engineers is remarkably on point:

Marco Chitti@chittimarco.bsky.social · last mo.

Thanks to @stephenjacobsmith.com for suggesting this paper: "Magic Numbers and Golden Rules" Some pretty clever reasoning about "magic" numbers and thresholds in fire regulations, something than can be said for a lot of arbitrary regulations in general. publications.iafss.org/publications...

👀 "Johnson plans to introduce [his transit board] nominees at the July 8 meeting of the Committee on Transportation and Public Way, but the list has not been finalized.”

Johnson faces tight deadline on picks for overhauled transit boards

Johnson has yet to announce his nominees for the new transit boards, which are set to replace the current governmental structure Sept. 1.

chicagobusiness.com

IDOT has awarded the NITA consultant contract to Boston Consulting Group

now that @chicagocityscape.com has six years of building fires data I can easily turn @willskud.bsky.social's observations into charts ~all residential fires in which two people died were either in single-family houses or in very old multifamily buildings

Preckwinkle’s transit board picks per the Tribune: Tom Kotorac (NITA*/CTA) Ann Kalayil (CTA) Diane Williams (NITA/Metra) Romayne Brown (NITA/Metra*) Joe Szabo, fmr FRA head (Metra) Luis Montgomery (NITA(?)/Pace) Rory Hoskins, Forest Park Mayor (NITA/Pace) Terry Wells, Phoenix Village Pres. (Pace*)

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle proposes new transit board members

Toni Preckwinkle sent the list of her proposed new transit board appointees — who must be approved by the Cook County board — to county commissioners in a letter dated Tuesday.

chicagotribune.com

Looking forward to finally have a chance to force my normie building takes onto architects as a member of the jury for the CNU Chicago Single-Stair Design Competition!

The text is a bit small but these plans by @alfredtwu.com do a good job of illustrating the difference space taken up by single-stair vs. scissor stairs. Chicago’s code requires scissor stairs to be min. 44” wide (vs. 36” min. normally)

"RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden’s contract runs out at the start of 2027, and she’s not expected to stay, sources said. Rumored candidates for NITA chief include Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency Executive Director Erin Aleman and former Illinois tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur.”

Only in America do electric utilities need to resort to attempts to make utility poles impervious to vehicle collisions so they don’t need to be replaced energized.edison.com/stories/padd...