Tax & The City | A Big Tent Urbanist Event

Can untaxing buildings breathe new life into the Windy City? Join us on Thursday, April 30th for an evening of comedy, conversation & connection as we explore how shifting taxes off homes and onto land can blast blight, ignite investment and fortify Chicago’s fiscal future.

From its breathtaking skyline to its buzzing neighborhoods and mouthwatering culinary scene, Chicago truly is one of the world’s great metros. Yet the city also faces real challenges: budget strain, population loss in key neighborhoods, vacant lots sitting idle, and a tax system that too often penalizes improvement while rewarding speculation. What if one of the most powerful tools to build a more vibrant city has been hiding in plain sight?

On Thursday, April 30, the Progress & Poverty Institute (PPI) joins forces with Strong Towns Chicago, Congress for the New Urbanism, Abundant Housing Illinois, and the Chicago Growth Project for ‘Tax & the City’: a community conversation designed to answer one very important question: Can a land value tax revitalize reinvestment in Chicagoland?

A shift toward land value taxation could:

• Encourage redevelopment of vacant and underused land
• Reduce penalties on housing construction and rehab, making it easier to build and improve homes
• Strengthen city finances without punishing productivity
• Promote walkable, vibrant neighborhoods instead of stagnant speculation on vacant land
• Advance fairness, ensuring the unearned value created by community growth benefits the whole community

The evening will feature:

• Host Ben Schulman, an urban storyteller, civic strategist and board member at PPI
• Urbanist standup set from Alex Montero, the @urbanistcomic
• Keynote from John Norquist, author of The Wealth of Cities, former Mayor of Milwaukee & former President of Congress for the New Urbanism
• Panel discussion featuring Daryl Fairweather (Chief Economist, Redfin), Dr. Josie Faass (Executive Director, PPI), Greg Miller (Executive Director, Center for Land Economics), and more
• Audience Q&A followed by happy hour to continue the conversation

Whether you’re a policy wonk, urbanist, housing advocate, public official, or simply someone who loves Chicago and wants to see it thrive, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss:

• The iO Theater (Near North/Clybourn)Thursday, April 30, 2026
• 5:45 – 8:00 PM (proceedings start at 6:30 PM)
• Appetizers + 1 drink included
• Free!

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