I've had somewhat of an obsession lately with the idea of drinking locally and have been scouring the internet in search of liquors and beers made in Chicago and neighboring states.

Why? Just like the carfree movement, the locavore movement seeks to reduce our society's addiction to an over-engineered transportation system that requires everyone and everything to travel vast distances for even simple needs. All that shipping and trucking is an unnecessary waste of resources, and the fuel we burn to move our goods contributes to global warming. By living closer to our daily needs and consuming goods (in this case, liquors and beers) produced closer to where we live, we can cut the waste and reduce our dependence on oil, while becoming more self-reliant and strengthening our local economy. I also love how local food and drink celebrate our unique local culture.

In another giant step for walkability mapping this month, Google has launched walking directions for Google Maps. The walking directions allow your path to go either direction on a one-way street, just like you would walk, and they also include many off-street paths. Playing around with it, it did send me through Millennium Park on a path through downtown, and it allowed me to choose a route through Lincoln Park.

While many Chicago neighborhoods are great places for walking, pedestrians still face quality of life and safety issues walking our streets every day. So I was encouraged to learn about an actual city plan to make our streets more complete and livable. Our city has a great track record with its bike plan, and there's great hope that the city's commitment to the pedestrian plan will lead to similarly exciting successes. The program includes a Pedestrian Plan Survey, where you can provide feedback on your experience as a pedestrian in Chicago.