State Sen. Van Wanggaard cuts benefits for workers while getting ever more for himself.

Urbanized, the third film in Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy, shows the greatness and failures of city planning through vivid cinematography and informed speakers. The film bounds from Bogota to Detroit and issue to issue giving viewers a background on the history of urbanism, while introducing the concept as a global issue.

With the announcement that Target is opening a CityTarget store on State Street in Chicago’s The Loop Neighborhood, the idea of a downtown Milwaukee Target has been generating a considerable amount of buzz in the past few weeks. Unfortunately for those wishing to shop at a downtown Target, none of that buzz has come from Target. Assuming Target was interested though, what location and store format would best match the desires of Target-loving shoppers with the needs of the city to continue to develop a healthy urban core in and around downtown? Let’s explore.

For anyone that’s ever been to the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis, it’s quite apparent that the structure itself is worthy of praise. It’s imposing presence largely defines the image outsiders’ have of of St. Louis. And as much as riding up to the top of the arch provides a great view of the surrounding area, the grounds that surround the structure are extremely underwhelming.

Parking privatization has received a lot of attention recently because of nationwide city-budget shortfalls and a high-profile privatization of Chicago’s meters. Chicago’s deal, one in a series of privatization deals the Daley administration proposed, netted the city over $1 billion. A windfall of cash certainly is tempting for any Mayor looking for a quick fix to get out of a recession ravaged budget. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, seeking a way to raise revenue without raising taxes, couldn’t avoid the temptation. Currently, a proposed parking privatization deal is up for approval in Indianapolis. Judging by what can be learned from the Indianapolis deal, however, Milwaukee would be wise to stay away.

Cities across the country are in the process of constructing or exploring ways to turn freeways into public space. The most notable example of this freeway-to-park transition is Boston’s Big Dig project, which turned the elevated Central Artery freeway (Interstate 93) into a 3.5-mile tunnel and replaced it with the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Boston project was incredibly expensive, but it’s hard to imagine downtown Boston and The North End with a freeway dividing them today. Turning freeways into parks appears to be a wise solution when a city’s central business district (many of which are encircled in freeways) run out of land that can be easily developed or when the freeway serves as a barrier between two successful urban neighborhoods. Would it be wise to implement such an idea in Milwaukee?

Daniel Burnham famously said “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.” Burnham, co-author of the famous 1909 Plan of Chicago, had a vision for a much grander Chicago. What he probably didn’t forsee was Chicagoan’s fulfilling that vision 100 years later by building massive pieces of public art. The latest iteration of Chicago’s fascination with large public art is located across the street from the iconic Harold Washington Library in Pritzker Park just northwest of the intersection State Street and Van Buren Street. What is it? A three-story tall eye balll, dubbed the EYE.

According to the Department of Transportation, up to $100 million of the $810 million allocation for the Milwaukee to Madison connection could be spent on the high speed rail project by early 2011. These funds will be used to finalize the design and to get construction and upgrading of tracks underway.

Detroit is called the Motor City for a reason. To get a full sense of the city’s sprawling grandeur, as well as the scope of what has been lost, you’ll have to get in a car and drive toward the suburban edge, weaving through the neighborhoods and industrial districts along the way. That said, most of Detroit’s iconic sights and sounds, from the glorious Art Deco skyscrapers to the growing urban farms, can be found within a walkable or bikeable radius of downtown.

Alex Ihnen of UrbanSTL provides an excellent urban tour guide for St. Louis.