🌳 No shade, we need more trees

The Push For Green Spaces in Chicago

Chicago is in the midst of yet another heat wave. Earlier this summer, nine people in Chicago died from heat-related causes, all on the South and West Sides.

According to a recent study, preserving more trees could prevent similar deaths. And that’s not the only reason Chicago neighborhoods are seeking more trees and green spaces.

What more trees can do: On the South and West Sides, flooding is especially bad due to too much concrete. Green spaces help soak up excess water before it reaches (and overwhelms) sewers. University of Illinois researchers also found there is less violent crime in greener places.

• Right now, Latino neighborhoods have the least amount of park space. There is 25% less park space in those areas as compared to the city median.

In the works: Several green space projects are already underway around the city. They include:

• A park coming to an empty lot in Auburn Gresham — 55 years after the city first planned a park there
• Ten lots in Garfield Park becoming community orchards
• Improvements to Canal Origins Park near Bridgeport and expanded recreational access to the Calumet River.

Ahead of future developments, locals continue calling for more access to nature.

• In Pilsen: Residents urged the city to deindustrialize the area by adding green space along the Chicago River and shutting down polluters, including notorious metal scrapper Sims Metal Management.
• At former Ford City Mall, plans recently advanced for a distribution facility. But community advocates pushed back: "We want green space to be a thing in Chicago … there is a lot of grey."
• In Bridgeport: Neighbors also fear more industrialization, as Amtrak weighs moving its railyard to the area.

What can YOU do? Chicago property owners can call 311 to request a new tree on their parkway. But hurry: this initiative is only through the end of the year.

• Younger Chicagoans: Check out Chicago Farm Lab in Belmont Cragin.

More Calls to Reopen Weiss and West Suburban

Former employees and patients and advocates pushed for the reopening of Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center and Uptown’s Weiss Memorial Hospital at a recent town hall. Insight Hospital & Medical Center could take over, but doctors do not trust the company. [Tribune 🔒]

• Meanwhile: Lawmakers skipped the forum. [WGN]
• What happened to these safety-net hospitals? [City Cast Chicago 💻]

Child Deportations Rising. Also, That Sox Parking Scam

An immigration judge in Chicago recently ordered six children to be deported. On today’s podcast, we break down what children are facing in Chicago immigration courts. Plus: How to not get finessed WHILE parking at a Sox Game and world-record meetups we’d like to see in the city. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Yemeni Cafes Everywhere

After expanding from Detroit, Yemeni coffee chains are all over the Midwest. Chicago is now home to at least 27 Yemeni chain cafes, plus a dozen more independent shops. Many are open late 🦉 [Axios]

• Personally, I love the vibe inside Qamaria in Albany Park.

The Mysterious History of Chicago’s Aquarium Smokers

Aquarium BBQ smokers are unique to Chicago’s South and West Sides. Unlike traditional smokers, aquarium smokers let chefs watch the meat through glass doors. According to legend, they arose in the 1950s after the city’s health department cracked down on brick pits. But many traditional BBQ spots are disappearing. [Block Club]