And our monthly meeting is the first week of every month.
September Book Club | Strong Towns Chicago
Discuss "You'll Pay For This" by Michel Durand-Wood at Strong Towns Chicago's September book club!
Urbanism for the Girlies Meetup
Join us for a night of mingling and casual conversations about navigating life in Chicago as a girlie (whatever that means to you!) and learn how to get involved and make change with an urbanist group like Strong Towns Chicago.
Safe streets, abundant transit, and affordable housing matter to us all, so let’s explore together how looking at those topics through our unique lens can come up with creative solutions with unexpected benefits. Whether you are new to urbanism or have a deep background, we’d love to meet you - no jargon or policy knowledge required.
RSVP here.
Park(ing) Day
Celebrate Parking Day at Dovetail Brewing by reclaiming parking spaces with Chicago's urbanist organizations!
RSVP here on Eventbrite!
Meet Me On Milwaukee - September
Meet Me On Milwaukee is a pilot series of “pedestrianization” events. Dine, shop, & walk Milwaukee Ave and enjoy pop-ups from Wicker Park Bucktown's vibrant shopping corridors!
October Monthly Meeting
Join us for our monthly meeting at the West Loop Branch Library. This event is free and open to all ages! Newcomers VERY welcome.
This is a great opportunity to learn about our current initiatives and get involved.
After the meeting, we'll head to a bar (Crossroads on Madison St) for a post-meeting social.
RSVP here.
2026 Strong Towns Illinois (STILL) Gathering
Join the many Strong Towns Local Conversations in the state of Illinois for the second-ever state-wide gathering hosted in Bloomington-Normal! Come meet folks doing the bottom-up work of Strong Towns, swap ideas, and share successes and challenges.
You do not need to currently be involved in a Local Conversation to attend. If you are interested in joining or starting one for your city/town, this is event is also for you!
RSVP here.
Albany Park Walking Tour
In this free walking tour hosted by Strong Towns Chicago, we'll be exploring the Albany Park neighborhood. The tour will cover the heritage and challenges of the community, led by a local resident.
Bring a friend and your questions!
RSVP here.
Meet Me On Milwaukee - October
Meet Me On Milwaukee is a pilot series of “pedestrianization” events. Dine, shop, & walk Milwaukee Ave and enjoy pop-ups from Wicker Park Bucktown's vibrant shopping corridors!
Brighton Park Walking Tour
In this free walking tour co-hosted by Strong Towns Chicago and Southwest Collective, we'll be exploring the Brighton Park neighborhood. The tour will cover the heritage and challenges of the community, led by a local resident.
RSVP here.
September Monthly Meeting
Meetup with Strong Towns Chicago leads and fellow volunteers to discuss ongoing initiatives and ways to get involved. This event is free and open to all ages! Newcomers VERY welcome.
This is a great opportunity to learn about our current initiatives and get involved.
After the meeting, we'll head to local bar for a post-meeting social.
RSVP here
Meet Me On Milwaukee - August
Meet Me On Milwaukee is a pilot series of “pedestrianization” events. Dine, shop, & walk Milwaukee Ave and enjoy pop-ups from Wicker Park Bucktown's vibrant shopping corridors!
South Loop Walking Tour
Join Strong Towns Chicago for a free walking tour through one of Chicago's neighborhoods.
In this free walking tour co-hosted by Strong Towns Chicago and South Loop Urbanists, we'll be exploring the South Loop neighborhood. The tour will cover the heritage and challenges of the community, led by a local resident.
Bring a friend and your questions! RSVP here.
Dunesday 2026 | Strong Towns Chicago + CCL Chicago
Join us on a public transit hike as we take a trip on the South Shore line for a day trip at the Indiana Dunes! We'll beach and hike!
Lets Talk Housing With Alderman Lawson
Join A City That Works and a bunch of pro-housing groups for a conversation with Alderman Bennett Lawson. Alderman Lawson has been a pro-housing leader on the City Council. Join us for a few drinks and a conversation about how to build more homes in Chicago.
RSVP here.
August Book Club | Strong Towns Chicago
Discuss "Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time" by Jeff Speck at Strong Towns Chicago's August book club!
Big Tent Urbanist Network Summer Party
Join advocates and volunteers at Pizza Lobo in West Loop to celebrate Chicago's urbanist organizations and our accomplishments.
We are excited to have our Big Tent Urbanist summer party at Pizza Lobo on Thursday, August 13 from 6-9 pm. With various different urbanist groups in attendance, this is a great opportunity to meet other urbanists and policymakers, learn about the various initiatives going on throughout Chicago, and figure out ways that you can get involved!
RSVP here.
Transit-a-thon
Join Strong Towns Chicago, Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) Chicago, Abundant Housing Illinois (AHIL), and the High Speed Rail Alliance at DePaul University's Loop campus from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for an evening of energizing, small-group discussions rotating around a variety of transit topics!
We will brainstorm together on effective ways to advocate for more and better transit for Chicago.
We'll focus on building knowledge, smart legislative policies, and concrete advocacy actions. No prior experience or background required!
August Monthly Meeting
Meetup with Strong Towns Chicago leads and fellow volunteers to discuss ongoing initiatives and ways to get involved. This event is free and open to all ages! Newcomers VERY welcome.
Strong Towns Chicago Summer Happy Hour
Celebrate the summer and hear updates on the first half of the year from Strong Towns Chicago!
Join friends, neighbors, and urbanists from Strong Towns Chicago to celebrate the summer! We'll be in the bottom floor of Black Barrel Tavern in West Loop and can't wait to discuss how we can continue making a stronger Chicago!
Your Next Smallest Step: Building Better Neighborhoods
We are hosting an event at Harold Washington Library! This event will include a presentation on the advocacy work that Strong Towns Chicago does and a walking tour of the Chicago Loop to hear about how the neighborhood can be improved.
Register here!
July Book Club | Strong Towns Chicago
Join us at New Wave Coffee for the July edition of the Strong Towns Chicago Book Club. We'll discuss "High-Risers: Cabrini-Green and the Fate of American Public Housing"by Ben Austen.
Dunning Walking Tour
Join Strong Towns Chicago for a free walking tour through one of Chicago's neighborhoods.
July Monthly Meeting
Meetup with Strong Towns Chicago leads and fellow volunteers to discuss ongoing initiatives and ways to get involved. This event is free and open to all ages! Newcomers VERY welcome.
Rogers Park Walking Tour
Join us for a free walking tour through one of Chicago's most diverse and walkable neighborhoods. We'll explore the lakefront, the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, and the dense, pre-war streets that make Rogers Park work. Expect a relaxed pace and plenty of stops.
June Book Club | Strong Towns Chicago
Discuss "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam at Strong Towns Chicago's June book club!
June Pride Beach Bash!
NEU is hosting their June social in collaboration with Strong Towns Chicago and Lakeview Urbanists, and we're inviting ALL Northside neighborhoods orgs and friends to come down to the lake for an afternoon of fun, sunshine, community, and celebrating pride!
Queering Urbanism
Join us on for an in-person event all about Queering Urbanism. This is a great chance to dive into how urban spaces can be reimagined through a queer lens.
Strong Towns Chicago picnic
Come hang out at this family-friendly event, eat good food, and chat about making Chicago a stronger town!
South Shore Walking Tour
Join us for a free walking tour of South Shore with Strong Towns Chicago and Sisters in Cinema!
June Monthly Meeting
Meetup with Strong Towns Chicago leads and fellow volunteers to discuss ongoing initiatives and ways to get involved. This event is free and open to all ages! Newcomers VERY welcome.
Zoning Committee Subject Matter Hearing on Single Stair
Join housing advocates from Strong Towns Chicago and Abundant Housing Illinois at the Zoning Committee meeting on June 4 at 10am for a critical subject matter hearing on Single Stair homes. This is a major opportunity to allow more homes in Chicago and lower rents: we want to show up in force and tell alderpeople that Single Stair will help fix our city's housing shortage.
Share Your Vision: Steelworkers Park Gathering Space
The Calumet Heritage Area is holding a Community Visioning Session to create a Gathering Space at Steelworkers Park!
Visit gatheringspaces.org/steelworkers-park for more information and to let them know you're coming.
Field Trip to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL
Calling all families, train nerds, and urbanists alike! Hop on board a Metra UP-NW to check out the IL Railway Museum.
EcoFest at Welles Park
We’ll be tabling at EcoFest!
EcoFest is an annual, free environmental festival where we come together to take action, reduce waste and celebrate our planet.
Learn more at https://www.aldermanmartin.com/ecofest
Transit & Safe Streets Working Group
Join us for our weekly meetup dedicated to moving Chicago’s transit and safe street initiatives forward. We’ll brainstorm projects, share updates, and coordinate next steps for better service, safer streets, and stronger neighborhoods.
The Power of Your Relationship with Elected Officials
Master the art of the 'citizen lobbyist' and become adept at civic relationships
Transit & Safe Streets Working Group
Join us for our weekly meetup dedicated to moving Chicago’s transit and safe street initiatives forward. We’ll brainstorm projects, share updates, and coordinate next steps for better service, safer streets, and stronger neighborhoods.
May Book Club | "The Unfinished Metropolis"
Join us as we discuss The Unfinished Metropolis by Benjamin Schneider. The book explores why America keeps building the same outdated freeways, sprawl, and office parks, and what a bolder, more livable future could look like. You don't have to have finished the book to join. Come curious, and enjoy the conversation!