Roland Solinski
@rwsolinski.bsky.social
chicagoan, architect, cyclist, urbanist
i’m not worried for chicago’s casino. it’ll be a hotel, theater, meeting space, and several riverfront restaurants. basically an inland navy pier, even before you add the slot machines.
if bally’s somehow fumbles it, a better operator can come in and clean up.
if bally’s somehow fumbles it, a better operator can come in and clean up.
"N.Y.C. Casino Bids Promise an Economic Boom. The Reality Might Differ.
As the number of gambling houses has grown across the United States, they are no longer the tourism magnets that they used to be, experts say."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/n...
As the number of gambling houses has grown across the United States, they are no longer the tourism magnets that they used to be, experts say."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/n...
N.Y.C. Casino Bids Promise an Economic Boom. The Reality Might Differ.
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:25 AM
i’m not worried for chicago’s casino. it’ll be a hotel, theater, meeting space, and several riverfront restaurants. basically an inland navy pier, even before you add the slot machines.
if bally’s somehow fumbles it, a better operator can come in and clean up.
if bally’s somehow fumbles it, a better operator can come in and clean up.
he’s gonna negatively polarize hyde parkers into supporting OPC, isn’t he
Really worth reading the entire 60 minutes interview transcript but admit this part got me laughing out loud.
November 4, 2025 at 12:44 PM
he’s gonna negatively polarize hyde parkers into supporting OPC, isn’t he
Reposted by Roland Solinski
This is where I make a minor note that Jewish religious court commentaries have held that the actual "sin of Sodom" (that pushed the Most High to decide to smite it) *wasn't* gay sex, or even angel rape, but a girl subjected to death by scaphism for feeding the poor www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.10...
![The relevant text of Sanhedrin 109b from the Talmud (the world's oldest law library in existence, on matters of Jewish religious law and, historically, civil law as well).
The doom of Sodom, per this particular chapter (which details many, many other instances of Sodom and Gomorrah's general policies of "fuck the poor and we will screw visitors in EVERY way possible"):
"There was a young woman who would take bread out to the poor people in a pitcher so the people of Sodom would not see it. The matter was revealed, and they smeared her with honey and positioned her on the wall of the city, and the hornets came and consumed her. And that is the meaning of that which is written: “And the Lord said: Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great [rabba]” (Genesis 18:20). And Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Rabba is an allusion to the matter of the young woman [riva] who was killed for her act of kindness. It is due to that sin that the fate of the people of Sodom was sealed."
In other words: Young girl was running an illegal soup kitchen (feeding the poor was actually prohibited by law). Her illegal soup kitchen was discovered, a mob dragged her into the streets, smeared honey on her, and tied her outside the city wall to be eaten alive by insects (in what amounted to an ancient Levantine version of the infamous Persian punishment of "the boats"/scaphism).
Forcing a girl to die by scaphism for the "unforgiveable crime" of *feeding the poor so they wouldn't starve* is what doomed Sodom, and by extension its continuing violations of customs and laws requiring the poor and the visitor and the refugee to be protected.
Hmmm, kind of sounds a lot like the present Dysadministration and Christian Nationalists, no?](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ypwzxphp2vrumidtfscckz6l/bafkreicb3tflfwyrn6jrhsikomanqkg4u777n62yqofktd4uvvrwwodqua@jpeg)
November 2, 2025 at 8:50 PM
This is where I make a minor note that Jewish religious court commentaries have held that the actual "sin of Sodom" (that pushed the Most High to decide to smite it) *wasn't* gay sex, or even angel rape, but a girl subjected to death by scaphism for feeding the poor www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.10...
i dunno, i think a functioning democracy requires more participation from its citizens than “vote once every 4 years”.
it’s not like presidential elections are immune to voter apathy either, even those turnouts are near record lows.
it’s not like presidential elections are immune to voter apathy either, even those turnouts are near record lows.
I saw some fairly serious lefties on my Facebook talking up the idea that off-year elections allow more serious conversation about local issues. Which may have some validity to it but is really just another variation of "we want to choose our electorate."
November 2, 2025 at 3:15 AM
i dunno, i think a functioning democracy requires more participation from its citizens than “vote once every 4 years”.
it’s not like presidential elections are immune to voter apathy either, even those turnouts are near record lows.
it’s not like presidential elections are immune to voter apathy either, even those turnouts are near record lows.
you might call it bucknerian jihad even
October 31, 2025 at 11:50 PM
you might call it bucknerian jihad even
Reposted by Roland Solinski
BEST BIG CITY IN THE US 9 YEARS IN A ROW.
While critics try to paint Chicago as something to fear, the rest of the world knows the truth — this is the best big city in America.
While critics try to paint Chicago as something to fear, the rest of the world knows the truth — this is the best big city in America.
Best Big City: Chicago Wins Award 9th Year in a Row
Learn why Chicago was voted the Best Big City for the 9th consecutive year by exploring our vibrant culture, welcoming inclusion, and so much more.
www.choosechicago.com
October 7, 2025 at 8:26 PM
BEST BIG CITY IN THE US 9 YEARS IN A ROW.
While critics try to paint Chicago as something to fear, the rest of the world knows the truth — this is the best big city in America.
While critics try to paint Chicago as something to fear, the rest of the world knows the truth — this is the best big city in America.
ebikes FTW.
fuck ICE.
fuck ICE.
ICE Nazis in Chicago tried to kidnap a food delivery worker but my man was too fast for those slow bastards
September 29, 2025 at 2:04 AM
ebikes FTW.
fuck ICE.
fuck ICE.
jesus christ.
if your family ever struggled to make ends meet, republicans think you don’t deserve a college education. they’re even taking away the bootstraps now.
if your family ever struggled to make ends meet, republicans think you don’t deserve a college education. they’re even taking away the bootstraps now.
Note also that the lawsuit alleges that because race and class are correlated, providing free tuition to lower income students is also racial preference.
They just want a pure aristocracy of inherited wealth
They just want a pure aristocracy of inherited wealth
“Johns Hopkins has not merely preserved its discriminatory DEI framework — it has entrenched, expanded and openly celebrated it as a cornerstone of its institutional identity,”
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...
September 28, 2025 at 5:33 AM
jesus christ.
if your family ever struggled to make ends meet, republicans think you don’t deserve a college education. they’re even taking away the bootstraps now.
if your family ever struggled to make ends meet, republicans think you don’t deserve a college education. they’re even taking away the bootstraps now.
hell yeah
A man here is passing around Italian beefs to people protesting Border Patrol.
September 28, 2025 at 2:30 AM
hell yeah
Reposted by Roland Solinski
there’s a party that will empower people in their thirties on condition they wreck the country, and a party that commands everyone to line up behind septuagenarians because it’s still their turn
It’s hard to convey the insanity of a thirty-something White House staffer getting an interim US Attorney appointment and marching into the grand jury room alone four days later to indict the former Deputy Attorney General and Director of the FBI
September 27, 2025 at 3:27 PM
there’s a party that will empower people in their thirties on condition they wreck the country, and a party that commands everyone to line up behind septuagenarians because it’s still their turn
this is 100% a poison pill for coach houses. and this union requirement will never go away.
i wonder if union-built coach houses could still pencil with prefab? ofc moving a prefab unit into constrained spaces along an alley is v tough, but maybe corner lots?
i wonder if union-built coach houses could still pencil with prefab? ofc moving a prefab unit into constrained spaces along an alley is v tough, but maybe corner lots?
requiring union labor to build an ADU is absurd lol. god why are so many democrats so unserious about housing
Some sort of “limitations and local review” and a union labor requirement for an ADU (lol) sounds like, in effect, Chicago has chosen to not allow ADUs
September 26, 2025 at 2:53 AM
this is 100% a poison pill for coach houses. and this union requirement will never go away.
i wonder if union-built coach houses could still pencil with prefab? ofc moving a prefab unit into constrained spaces along an alley is v tough, but maybe corner lots?
i wonder if union-built coach houses could still pencil with prefab? ofc moving a prefab unit into constrained spaces along an alley is v tough, but maybe corner lots?
Reposted by Roland Solinski
HARDEST PHOTO OF 2025 JUST DROPPED
September 19, 2025 at 5:11 PM
HARDEST PHOTO OF 2025 JUST DROPPED
interesting idea but zipcar and other car sharing services never really panned out.
i’m not sure “car drives itself to you” is the killer feature that offsets the downsides of this business model.
otoh, you could also conceptualize it as a public utility and subsidize it like hoboken does.
i’m not sure “car drives itself to you” is the killer feature that offsets the downsides of this business model.
otoh, you could also conceptualize it as a public utility and subsidize it like hoboken does.
a financial and technical product that probably will exist is a company helps you find like 3-5 other people to lease or buy a self-driving car with. pairs you with them, provides the legal agreement, makes an app that you can use to co-ordinate usage with, etc. Probably a market for that.
September 18, 2025 at 6:29 AM
interesting idea but zipcar and other car sharing services never really panned out.
i’m not sure “car drives itself to you” is the killer feature that offsets the downsides of this business model.
otoh, you could also conceptualize it as a public utility and subsidize it like hoboken does.
i’m not sure “car drives itself to you” is the killer feature that offsets the downsides of this business model.
otoh, you could also conceptualize it as a public utility and subsidize it like hoboken does.
taste was great this year!
short lines for food/beer, cooler weather and we got to see lupe fiasco up close at buckingham fountain with a crowd of only a few thousand people.
compared to the massive taste of yore, though, these smaller crowds feel more than a bit strange.
short lines for food/beer, cooler weather and we got to see lupe fiasco up close at buckingham fountain with a crowd of only a few thousand people.
compared to the massive taste of yore, though, these smaller crowds feel more than a bit strange.
Hell yea
www.wbez.org/politics/202...
www.wbez.org/politics/202...
Taste of Chicago will move back to July next year, top cultural official says
Clinée Hedspeth, the head of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said the pause in next year's NASCAR will allow the city to return the popular food fest to mid-summer.
www.wbez.org
September 12, 2025 at 1:35 PM
taste was great this year!
short lines for food/beer, cooler weather and we got to see lupe fiasco up close at buckingham fountain with a crowd of only a few thousand people.
compared to the massive taste of yore, though, these smaller crowds feel more than a bit strange.
short lines for food/beer, cooler weather and we got to see lupe fiasco up close at buckingham fountain with a crowd of only a few thousand people.
compared to the massive taste of yore, though, these smaller crowds feel more than a bit strange.
we don’t really know what happens if the government takes its thumb off the scales, transport-wise. much depends on how it is done.
if federal resources are block-granted to MPOs (not state DOTs), you might see transit finally get a fair shake in many cities.
if federal resources are block-granted to MPOs (not state DOTs), you might see transit finally get a fair shake in many cities.
This is excellent.
My quick way of framing the irreconcilable differences is: How many more or fewer cars would there be if Abundance prevails?
My quick way of framing the irreconcilable differences is: How many more or fewer cars would there be if Abundance prevails?
September 8, 2025 at 3:49 AM
we don’t really know what happens if the government takes its thumb off the scales, transport-wise. much depends on how it is done.
if federal resources are block-granted to MPOs (not state DOTs), you might see transit finally get a fair shake in many cities.
if federal resources are block-granted to MPOs (not state DOTs), you might see transit finally get a fair shake in many cities.
Reposted by Roland Solinski
Mamdani: We need to make public transportation so good that “no matter how much money is in your pocket, you say: I’m gonna use this.”
September 6, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Mamdani: We need to make public transportation so good that “no matter how much money is in your pocket, you say: I’m gonna use this.”
the ‘P’ part of RPM is an interesting question. the sky high costs of RPM pt1 and RLE were only possible bc the City of Chicago underwrote those costs with truly vast new taxing districts.
this kind of thing is out of the question for Evanston, and I can’t see Chicago or other burbs ponying up.
this kind of thing is out of the question for Evanston, and I can’t see Chicago or other burbs ponying up.
When the Purple Line is modernized they should eliminate Foster
September 1, 2025 at 10:20 PM
the ‘P’ part of RPM is an interesting question. the sky high costs of RPM pt1 and RLE were only possible bc the City of Chicago underwrote those costs with truly vast new taxing districts.
this kind of thing is out of the question for Evanston, and I can’t see Chicago or other burbs ponying up.
this kind of thing is out of the question for Evanston, and I can’t see Chicago or other burbs ponying up.
there’s really something about fascists and train stations, huh
August 27, 2025 at 11:50 PM
there’s really something about fascists and train stations, huh
Reposted by Roland Solinski
Making them wear high-visibility vests over camo is such a good joke you couldn’t write it
National Guard is now tasked with picking up garbage in DC
August 26, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Making them wear high-visibility vests over camo is such a good joke you couldn’t write it
good lord how are we so bad at this
If you aren't a public transit geek I despair of convincing you how important this chart is.
Slow buses cut people off from opportunity. Stop respacing is controversial (everything is controversial) and yet the savings and benefits are huge. (We can help.)
Slow buses cut people off from opportunity. Stop respacing is controversial (everything is controversial) and yet the savings and benefits are huge. (We can help.)
August 19, 2025 at 4:47 AM
good lord how are we so bad at this
Reposted by Roland Solinski
I got a flu booster today and it made me reflect on the sense of national accomplishment I felt when I drove to a public facility, waited in my car until my number was called on an app, and got my first covid jab. It's fucked the right gets to erase what a moment of technological liberation that was
August 10, 2025 at 1:12 AM
I got a flu booster today and it made me reflect on the sense of national accomplishment I felt when I drove to a public facility, waited in my car until my number was called on an app, and got my first covid jab. It's fucked the right gets to erase what a moment of technological liberation that was
if NYT Pitchbot had a games section
Our colleagues created an imaginary state called Hexapolis for this exercise.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Can You Gerrymander Your Party to Power?
Gerrymandering has been criticized for disenfranchising voters and fueling polarization. To help you understand it better, we created an imaginary state called Hexapolis, where your only mission is to...
www.nytimes.com
August 9, 2025 at 9:21 PM
if NYT Pitchbot had a games section
the American *dis*taste for urbanism is also rooted in over a century of propaganda by racists, suburban homebuilders, and car/oil companies.
it’s marketing all the way down, folks, but only one form of human settlement has been tried and tested for thousands of years.
it’s marketing all the way down, folks, but only one form of human settlement has been tried and tested for thousands of years.
It's funny to think that my preference for urban living in areas with dense, mixed-used, walkable neighborhoods, multi-family housing, small businesses, and diversity probably stems from Sesame Street. Like an early education in Jane Jacob's urbanist theories.
August 2, 2025 at 9:05 PM
the American *dis*taste for urbanism is also rooted in over a century of propaganda by racists, suburban homebuilders, and car/oil companies.
it’s marketing all the way down, folks, but only one form of human settlement has been tried and tested for thousands of years.
it’s marketing all the way down, folks, but only one form of human settlement has been tried and tested for thousands of years.
nightmare fuel
"More bicyclists reported being hurt after riding into string drawn at neck- and head-level across the Marine Parkway Bridge pedestrian path this week," reported Gothamist on Friday. buff.ly/H4EIRHs
Monday's Headlines: Strung Out Edition - Streetsblog New York City
We're still shook about a series of string-related incidents on the Marine Parkway Bridge. Plus more news.
nyc.streetsblog.org
July 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM
nightmare fuel
i will pick cherry 3 times, the rest are trash.
ok fine maybe throw in a confetti, it still tastes like trash but at least it looks like a party 🎉
ok fine maybe throw in a confetti, it still tastes like trash but at least it looks like a party 🎉
July 28, 2025 at 12:06 AM
i will pick cherry 3 times, the rest are trash.
ok fine maybe throw in a confetti, it still tastes like trash but at least it looks like a party 🎉
ok fine maybe throw in a confetti, it still tastes like trash but at least it looks like a party 🎉