Dear Neighbors,
Last night, I had the honor of speaking at Lincoln Park High School’s National Honor Society (NHS) induction ceremony. This group of junior inductees earned this recognition through their commitment to four pillars: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. From beautifying their school, to tutoring their peers, to leading service projects throughout the year, I’m proud of the difference that these students are already making in our community.
In my speech, I shared how the work of NHS reflects what we strive for in local government. Building a stronger city often comes down to small, consistent improvements that shape people’s day-to-day lives. These students are already demonstrating that mindset, and it’s a reminder of something I see often through this role: the future is bright.
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Earlier this week, we celebrated the unveiling of the new LaSalle Street Underpass mural, “Day Into Night” by artist Cheri Charlton. Made possible by the Lincoln Park Conservancy, generous community donors, and the Chicago Public Art Group, this project shows how public art can enhance everyday life. As we head into summer, hundreds of neighbors will pass through this underpass each day on their way to the lake. Investments like this make the 43rd Ward a vibrant urban hub for Chicagoans and tourists alike.
Featuring native plants and animals, the mural reflects the diverse topography of our lakefront community. This effort to bring this mural to life took significant coordination and commitment, and the same will be required to maintain it; therefore, I’m grateful to everyone involved.
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Last week at City Council, I introduced an ordinance to cut red tape for faith communities by allowing them to rent their unused parking spaces during off-hours without going through a lengthy and expensive zoning process. Based on the positive reception, our team has decided to amend the initial draft to expand permission to churches within all zoning designations throughout the city. This ordinance will go to the Committee on Zoning under the new Chairperson Ald. Gil Villegas.
Finally, we are very excited for tomorrow’s return of The Lincoln Park Farmers Market for its celebratory 45th season. For decades, The Lincoln Park Farmers Market and Green City Market have been Saturday morning staples, bringing fresh food to our doorsteps and creating space for small businesses to grow. Under Elsa Jacobson’s dedicated leadership, the Lincoln Park Farmers Market has also served as an incubator for local vendors, many of whom have gone on to open storefronts right here in our community, including one of my favorites, Daly’s Donuts.
This year, the Lincoln Park Farmers Market is entering a new chapter with a shift in location to the path between the Lincoln Park High School (LPHS) buildings. This change supports LPHS’s ability to generate additional funding for school programming, while ensuring the market continues to thrive. Earlier this month, we asked for your support of the market through this transition, and our ward showed up in a big way. Together, we raised $6,850 so far, including my $3,000 match. It’s a great reminder of how much our farmers markets mean to this community, and I hope to see many of you tomorrow at both the Lincoln Park Farmers Market and Green City Market.
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After the Farmers Market, I encourage everyone to head over to Halsted Street for Independent Bookstore Day. The Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl is bringing together more than 80 shops across the region, including Lilliput Books right here in the 43rd Ward. Whether you’re joining the crawl or just stopping into Lilliput, it’s a great way to pick up a new read and support a small business that’s quickly become a neighborhood favorite.
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Alderperson Timmy Knudsen
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P.S. I was honored to be recognized last week by the Chicago Bird Alliance with the Protector of the Environment – Political Service award. This recognition, given every two years, highlights efforts to protect wildlife, migratory birds, and the natural spaces that make our region so special. I’m grateful to be part of this work and proud to continue supporting conservation efforts across our community.
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Honored to be recognized alongside so many great community leaders like Cheryl Johnson
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ADU Ordinance Now in Effect
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As of April 1, the City’s ordinance to legalize Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs), led by Alderman Bennett Lawson and supported by my office, is officially in effect. In just the first two days, the City received 88 applications, an encouraging early sign that residents are ready to take advantage of this long-awaited change. Expanding access to ADUs is an important step toward addressing Chicago’s housing shortage and creating more flexible, affordable living options in our neighborhoods.
If you have ever considered adding an ADU, whether to create additional income or keep family members close, now is a great time to explore your options. You can enter basic information about your property to see how many units you may be eligible for and learn how to get started. The site also includes an interactive map that allows you to look up eligibility by address. I was proud to support this effort, and I encourage you to learn more, share this opportunity with neighbors, and explore how this program can help expand housing options across our city.
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Pushing Back Against Proposed ComEd Substation
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A proposed ComEd substation at 1111 W. Diversey has raised important questions about size, location, and community impact, especially given its proximity to homes, schools, and transit. While the project is currently classified as a “minor utility” and permitted by right, our office, alongside neighboring alders, has formally requested a zoning review to determine whether it should instead undergo a more rigorous “major utility” approval process. We are continuing to push for transparency, proper community engagement, and a project that aligns with our neighborhood’s character and transit-oriented development goals. Read more here.
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The Recycle Coach app is a simple, all-in-one tool to help you manage trash, recycling, and waste services in your neighborhood. It helps residents stay organized, recycle correctly, and keep up with local services. With Recycle Coach, you can:
- Get personalized trash and recycling pickup reminders
- Look up how to properly dispose of items with the “What Goes Where” tool
- Find drop-off locations for hard-to-recycle materials
- Stay updated on service changes and holiday schedules
- Learn about local recycling events and programs
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Crime, and safety remain top of mind for our community. Each week, the 18th and 19th District post Compstat numbers that reflect changes in indexes for key crimes. As a reminder, these statistics represent 100% of the 18th & 19th Police Districts; accordingly, they represent an area much larger than our ward.
For 18th District (south of Fullerton) Week 16 Compstat.
For 19th District (north of Fullerton) Week 16 Compstat.
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We work closely with the 43rd Ward’s local CAPS districts, which include the 18th (Near North) and 19th (Town Hall) Police Districts. Our office is in frequent contact with officers from both of these districts and their local CAPS officers, who host a variety of community forums and events including beat meetings, informational settings, and expert panel discussions, as well as sending out community alerts when a pattern of crime is detected.
Beat Meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and an excellent way to hear directly from CPD about your neighborhood. Meetings are held in the evenings every two months. Click here and find out your Police District and Beat number, and click here for a larger and printable version of the graphic.
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Ald. Knudsen Urges Johnson & CDOT to Prioritize Bridge Closures and Offer Alternative Traffic Congestion Plans
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"The ongoing closure of river bridges (especially the Cortland Bridge) has created major traffic strain and frustration for residents and businesses alike. Alongside seven other aldermen, I sent a letter to Mayor Johnson urging his administration and CDOT to prioritize this bridge issue. My office will continue pushing for clearer communication, smarter coordination, and the fastest safe timeline possible to get these bridges reopened." -Ald. Timmy Knudsen
Alderman Knudsen supported a proposal from 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins requiring the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to present a detailed traffic plan before closing any bridge for more than 30 days. The plan must outline how congestion will be reduced — including detours, parking adjustments, and other mitigation strategies. Our office also received a letter back from CDOT, outlining steps they are taking to help reduce traffic congestion and delays for 43rd Ward residents. You can read it here.
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Oscar Mayer Neighborhood Registrations
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Mayer will hold neighborhood registrations on the following dates: 4/15&16/2026, 05/28&29/2026 & 06/11&12/2026, 08/18&19&20/2026. All registration will take place from 10:00 - 2:00pm.
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Investing in Arts Education Across CPS
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Ingenuity recently announced $1.7 million in Creative Schools Fund grants, supporting 125 Chicago Public Schools for the 2025–26 school year. These grants expand access to high-quality, teacher-led arts programming, especially in schools with limited arts resources. Since launching in 2013, the Creative Schools Fund has invested more than $26 million into CPS, helping ensure every student has access to a well-rounded education that includes the arts. Programs like this continue to strengthen our schools and create more opportunities for students to explore their creativity.
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Interactive Ward 43 Parking Zone Map
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Our office has created a parking zone map to help residents better understand where residential parking zones are located throughout the ward. For several streets, a Residential Parking Permit may not be required. Some areas may instead be free parking, pay-to-park, school zones, or tow and loading zones that restrict parking during certain hours.
While the map can be helpful for general reference, posted signage is always the most reliable indicator of parking rules. We encourage residents and visitors to carefully check street signs when parking to confirm the applicable restrictions.
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RANCH Triangle is now offering $1,000 grants to nonprofit organizations whose work benefits residents of the RANCH community. To be eligible, an organization’s work must benefit RANCH residents, though the organization does not need to be located within the neighborhood. Interested non-profits can email RANCH at [email protected] for more info. Applications must be submitted by June 5, 2026.
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Our Fourth Annual Earth Day is your chance to roll up your sleeves and directly shape the beauty of Old Town Triangle. Projects will include park cleanups, planting, mulching, gardening, and beautification work across our neighborhood green spaces. Whether you can stay the full morning or just an hour or two, every helping hand makes a big difference.
Ella Jenkins Park (333 W Wisconsin Ave)
Saturday, May 9th between 9AM – 1PM
After an incredible 2025 Earth Day where more than 150 neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders came together to transform our green spaces, I hope you'll join us and help make this year’s Earth Day our most impactful yet.
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Third Coast Percussion
Thursday, May 14 | 7 p.m.
Heller Auditorium
Free and Open to the Public - Register here
In the 9th year of the Joan W. Harris Visiting Music Scholar in Residence program, Parker is excited to welcome it’s first percussion group as part of this visiting scholar series: Third Coast Percussion! Third Coast Percussion is a GRAMMY® Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet and GRAMMY®-nominated composer collective that made history as the first percussion ensemble to win the revered music award in the classical genre.
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Monday, April 27 | 6 p.m.Heller Auditorium - RSVP Here
Parker’s Math Department welcomes all for a film focusing on the power and importance of numeric literacy. The movie Counted Out investigates the biggest crises of our time through an unexpected lens: math. All are welcome to join us for a screening of Counted Out followed by a facilitated discussion with Parker Math faculty. Film run time is 1 hour and 29 minutes.
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Our office will talk about this in our lead closer to the event.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Have questions about street work happening in your area? The Department of Transportation has a wonderful tool to look up street work in your area called the Chi Street Work Portal. Here you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street. The map is also interactive, allowing residents to view the real permits, view projects in other areas of the City, and see which type of work is being done on your street.
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Parking Enforcement via 311
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The Department of Finance (DOF) announced that City residents now have the option of reporting the following parking enforcement violations: Bus Lane Parking, Commercial Loading Zone, Commercial Vehicle Parked on a Residential Street, Disabled Parking, Fire Hydrant Parking, Residential Parking, Rush Hour Zones, School Safety Zones, Vehicle Parked in Bike Lane, Other (Semi-trucks parked on streets, etc.) Neighbors can report parking violations by calling 311, using the CHI311 app, or through the 311 website. The request type is “Finance Parking Code Enforcement Review.”
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E-Scooters and E-Bikes Policy Updates
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Please click here for updated guidance and rules from CDOT on Scooter and E-Bike rides.
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I want to keep spreading the good word of how powerful a tool CHI 311 is to address non-emergency services in our Ward. Via the CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can:
- Create new service requests and check the status of existing requests (such as on timing and completion).
- Snap a photo of an issue to submit it with a request to improve location accuracy.
- Get local and relevant information/tips regarding the 43rd Ward including visibility into what other requests are being made in your neighborhood. The free CHI 311 mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and may be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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