We are delighted to announce that our Leapfrog Project Founder & ALLL Principal Architect, Lira Luis has been elected as Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA) for her prominent contributions to social progress and development that benefit extreme natural disaster survivors within informal settlements.  

This is a prestigious award granted to exceptional individuals from across the world. Fellowship is only awarded to those who can demonstrate that they have made significant contributions to social change or progress and development, as well as support the mission of the RSA. Fellows have included well-known names such as the Founding Father of the USA Benjamin Franklin, Marie Curie, Karl Marx, Charles Dickens, Stephen Hawking and Nelson Mandela.

Fellows have included well-known names such as the Founding Father of the USA Benjamin Franklin, Marie Curie, Karl Marx, Charles Dickens, Stephen Hawking and Nelson Mandela.

They come from many occupations such as architects, engineers, social entrepreneurs, scientists, community leaders, commercial innovators, artists, journalists, and current notable Fellows include inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee, Judi Dench, Alex James, and Benson Taylor. Being part of the RSA is considered by many as a privileged status, as seen by the post-nominal letters ‘FRSA’ behind its fellows’ names. From the original 11 who met in a London coffee house 260 years ago, to the network of 30,000 (since its founding in 1754) achievers and influencers (as of 2020) it elected as Fellows worldwide, Lira Luis now has access to this valuable network and grants for social-changing projects.

Fellows come from many occupations such as architects, engineers, social entrepreneurs, scientists, community leaders, commercial innovators, artists, journalists.

The RSA has had an immense impact on the world that included recording the first use of the word ‘sustainability’ in an environmental context (RSA Journal 1980) and offering rewards for the reduction of smoke emissions (1770), to name a few. “No matter how great our past has been, we believe we can have an even better future, and Lira Luis is now part of that story,” writes RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor.

“No matter how great our past has been, we believe we can have an even better future, and Lira Luis is now part of that story,” writes RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor.

Lira Luis amplifies minority perspectives, connects diverse communities, and capitalizes innovation to bring quality architectural solutions for the benefit of the underserved and vulnerable.

As an architect for the underserved, she uplifts the homeless, displaced, and underserved people globally through deployment of architectural solutions on shoestring budgets — her drive, powered by a devotion inherited from her grandfathers whose World War II heroics earned a Purple Heart and a US Congressional Gold Medal respectively, while her designs defined by principles of organic architecture. Having lived in Taliesin shelters informed her Portable Transient Shelter Pods and MOD House for site-specific needs. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright designs, she implemented a revival of his affordable housing solution maximizing modular building methods and minimizing costly materials to convert blighted Atlantic City wards into livable spaces with lots of light. She transformed a deficient historic building to sufficiency fit for occupancy. In her 2016 United Architects of the Philippines Convention Keynote, she stimulated livable space and light discourse with nearly 2,000 audiences reaching 21 Asian heads of state. Numerous newspaper and magazines, speaking invitations worldwide, and her 2015 DANDI award in sustainability reflect her impact.

As an innovator, her cutting-edge technology motivates architects to serve rapidly changing societies. She proliferated her shelter design prototypes online and offline, as replicable livable space architectural solutions for more than 1.3 million homeless nationally and internationally. She pioneered an energy-saving analysis process for passive solar daylighting in the Phoenix Crime Lab, subsequently replicated in other crime labs and an academic complex. Her architecture experiments on cutting-edge biotechnology-based Living Ball uplifts disaster survivors through low-cost, high quality transient structure and light while her Magnetic Levitation architectural solution to help island nations overcome rapidly rising sea levels, inspired another industry to consider it for retail display. Her pioneering transaction-based process workflows streamlined door and window schedule documentation, earning a bank headquarters LEED Gold certification. Her ‘Best Of’ 2011 AIA National Convention session, “How to Leverage Social Technologies for a Sustainable Practice,” persuaded thousands of architects to adopt social media and subsequent novel practice models through co-working including virtual businesses, and led to the 2019 Most Innovative Businesswoman in Diverse Architecture – USA Award.

She connects diverse communities so even a catalytic minority populace can mobilize the underserved with innovative design technologies. She led the 2014 Global Inclusion Reception at AIA Conference on Architecture (replicated at A’15) that spawned local outreach through Apple Store and Philippine Embassy lectures. It motivated her international outreach, Leapfrog From Disaster Symposium that inspired 5 continents. She involves The White House Asian American Pacific Islander Commission, US-Philippines Society, British Consulate General in USA, and Royal Institute of British Architects, to name a few. As commentator on local, national, and international TV, radio, and podcasts, she reached a cumulative and combined million-strong audience. The Global Diversity Collaborative honored her work with the 2016 Diversity Academy Award in the International Category.

These are just some of the qualities that the RSA has based their awarding Lira with the Fellowship upon, after her nomination and subsequent fast-track application.

In receiving her award: “It’s truly an honor and I’m thrilled to be a Fellow of such a prestigious organization recognized worldwide for its impact historically, and continuing to make an impact for the benefit of current and future generations. I look forward to participating in the shaping of change, on social justice and sustainability in a post-Covid-19 world with other Fellows — whose values of being open, optimistic, pioneering, rigorous, and enabling — I admire, share, and am inspired by,” says Lira Luis. Her RSA Fellowship follows her election as Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects on November 15, 2019. 

There’s colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin’ their feet
People sleepin’ in their shoes
But there’s a warnin’ sign
on the road ahead
There’s a lot of people sayin’
we’d be better off dead
Don’t feel like Satan,
but I am to them
So I try to forget it,
any way I can.

2020 has been a shit show that we can’t turn off. We hear news that shocks us and shakes us to our core. It never stops. It’s happening EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!!!! And we’ve just now reached the halfway point of the year. There’s still six months left to go before we turn over the calendar.

There’s the daily Donald Trump incompetency. There’s the coronavirus pandemic which has killed more than 120, ooo Americans and has the rest of us scared, anxious and sleepless. We’ve seen the deaths of John Prine, Bill Withers, Carl Reiner and Kobe & Gianna Bryant. George Floyd!

2020 has been more than a little too much. There are days you need a break. There are days you need to get away from it all. There are days you just need to turn off your television. You need to shut down your overloaded brain. You need to say fuck it and turn up the music as loud as you can stand it!!

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away,
and she’s gone to get a hit
She hates her life,
and what she’s done to it
There’s one more kid
that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love,
never get to be cool.

Yesterday was one of those days. I was watching Rand Paul talking down and disrespecting Dr. Fauci again and started to shake my head. Next, against my best instincts, I watched Kayleigh McEnany lie to reporters and the public about the new Russia reporting. Then, it was time for a couple of news/opinion shows.

It’s enough to make you want to bang your head against the wall and not stop. The voice in my head said enough. When you reach that point, it’s time to find another outlet. At that point, I close everything up, find a tune, blast the sound and start…..

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world
Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world. 

It’s amazing how good it makes your feel! It’s like a great massage. When you do it, you’re always thinking why not do this more often. Life is way to short to be dealing with all the stress all the time.

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
We got department stores
and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes
for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people,
says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn,
got roads to drive.

Sadly, I know you can’t live this way forever. I know I’ll get back to reality soon enough. There’s too much going on to keep hibernating for too long. Trump. The election. The absurdity of trying to play sports in a pandemic. More Trump. Tribune Publishing. Did I mention Trump?

Okay…Okay…maybe I need another day. It’ll be okay if I take just one more day, won’t it? It won’t hurt anyone, right? I’ll be back sooner than later. Until then, I think I’ll just….

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world
Keep on rockin’ in the free world,
Keep on rockin’ in the free world.

*Pretty sure you’ve figured out the lyrics and video are from “Rockin’ In The Free World”~Neil Young

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Hermene D. Hartman, asks in N’Digo, “Do black lives matter to blacks too?”

An excerpt:

Black men have to stand up for Black boys and teach and mentor and protect them. Black on Black crime is greater than police crime.

The police crime becomes more noticed because of its cruelty too often on minutia, but Blacks killing babies is outrageous. The three-year-old and the 20-month-old baby have done absolutely nothing riding in the car with your dad, sitting in the window at home, riding in the car with your mother, and sitting on the couch as a child should not get you killed.

Black Babies Matter, TOO

Related: From Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass: “What frightens the American left: Larry Elder’s new documentary ‘Uncle Tom'”

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Mike Pence, we need you now.

Donald Trump, narcissist extraordinaire, will have to wear the jacket if he loses the presidential election. But if he loses, he will blame everyone except himself. And in his self-destruction, he will take the Republican Party and the conservative agenda down with him.

Although I’m loathe to make political predictions, the signs are not good as he trails in those critical up-for-grab states that he won the last time. He keeps saying things that his core supporters love–the same things that put off the independent and moderate Republicans, especially in those states, whom he absolutely needs.

Of course, I’ll be told that no one expected him to win in 2016 (although I feared that he would), but that’s not a reasonable explanation in 2020 for why he is the shoo-in as many of his supporters believe.

Truth is, Trump is betraying the conservative agenda by rushing ahead with his brainless campaign, mental as he is. He is making possible the election of Joe Biden, whose presidency would be even more scary than a Trump second term. Biden–whomever he is–will be run by a shadow president, and who knows what he or she will get us into. The puppeteer will either be the greedy wing of the Democratic Party (e.g. Clinton Obama) or the out-of-their-minds radical left wingers.

There’s still time. Time to energize a movement of Republicans, who share this concern, to replace him on the ticket with Vice President Mike Pence. Sure, sure, it’s the longest of long shots, seeing as how so many Republicans are invertebrates.

But Pence supports a conservative agenda and comes without the personal flaws of Trump. He won’t put off those moderate voters with raging tweets or ranting speeches  He is the not-Trump who can cancel the Democrat’s sole campaign pledge–“anyone but Trump.”

Pence is decent, intelligent and honest. Unlike Trump, who is vain, pompous, prideful, self-admiring, self-important and smug. Among other things. Unleashed in his second term without having to face another election and consumed with his “legacy” (just as was Obama), Trump scares the crap out of me.

Trump has enough votes to claim the party’s nomination. Unless enough delegates come to their senses and say, “To hell with it. We’ve got to do something to save the party and the country.”

Related: “Would the GOP Throw Trump Overboard? Back in 1974, a group of Republicans talked Nixon into resigning for the good of the party and country. But times have changed.”

Related: Does President Trump still want to win? Where’s the mojo?

The all-new 2020 Subaru Outback is — and always has been — based on the Legacy platform. Even so, I find it odd the Outback is technically classified as a wagon. It has standard all-wheel drive, a higher ride height and excellent cargo capacity. 

Plus, it just looks more like a sport utility vehicle than a car.

However, I suppose Outback’s car origins combined with a tight turning radius are what make it such an excellent urban vehicle.

The Hits

There’s a lot to love about the Subaru Outback. It has clean bold exterior lines with a rugged outward appearance. It has a higher ride height — but not so high that it’s difficult to get into or out of. It can handle some mild off-roading or — in Chicago terms — pothole obstacle courses fairly easily.

The interior is plush and comfy with cushy seats and soft textures throughout the vehicle. Any trim off the base comes with an 11.3-inch vertical infotainment screen, and the overall interior design is attractive and well designed.

The best thing about the Outback, however, has to be the overall ride comfort and interior quietness. The test vehicle was a top-tier Touring XT trim, and I’m not entirely sure if that made a difference with its plethora of leather-covered surfaces, but the Outback is quiet. Very little engine or ambient noise creeps into the cabin, which is nice for conversations, quiet contemplation or the desire to enjoy your music without distraction.

Because of the XT designation, that means the test vehicle was equipped with the up-level turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer engine. It delivers 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration is smooth and seamless with this powertrain, and in my mostly highway driving experience, I didn’t notice any turbo lag.

2020 Subaru Outback (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

There is a base 2.5-liter direct injection as well. Having driven this at the preview, I remember thinking this is also a really nice powertrain. 

I’m also a huge fan of the standard safety tech on the Outback, which Subaru’s EyeSite with features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. Cool available tech features include automatic reverse braking and Driver Focus — which uses facial recognition to load a specific driver’s presets as well as make sure the driver is paying attention.

The Misses

With so much to love about the Outback, there aren’t too many misses, but there are a few. 

Let me start with the auto stop/start engine kill switch. It’s there, but rather than having an easily accessed hard button near the gear shift or ignition start, it’s hidden under layers of the info screen. I understand automakers really want you to keep this feature engaged for the minuscule fuel savings it offers, but a lot of people don’t like it and want it off. Since it can’t be disabled permanently in the Outback, make it more accessible. Please. 

Also while I like the large info screen on the center stack, a few of my followers on social media pointed out that the digital design is very busy and somewhat distracting. I like the big buttons so they’re easy to see while driving, but the more I look at it, the more I see and acknowledge the visual clutter.

2020 Subaru Outback (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

The last miss is something most people won’t notice. I only saw it because I’m a short driver and climbed behind my driving position to check out rear legroom. The problem: Unfinished bits underneath the seats. There were wires and bits of cotton fluff popping out — bad form for an otherwise stellar design.

The Trims

All-wheel drive is standard across the board, and and the XT trims denote the up-level 2.4-liter engine.

• Outback ($27,655): Equipped with EyeSight, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, raised roof rails, rear-view camera.
• Premium ($29,905): Adds Subaru Starlink, 11-6-inch touchscreen, 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, all-weather package with heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, LED foglight.
• Limited ($34,455): Adds leather upholstery, 12-speaker Harmon Kardon premium audio, LED steering-responsive headlights, passive entry, push-button start, hands-free power lift gate.
• Touring ($38,355): Adds Nappa-trimmed leather seats, navigation, power moonroof, heated steering wheel, DriverFocus, ventilated front seats.
• Onyx Edition XT ($35,905): In addition to the 2.4-liter engine, it has StarTex water-repellant upholstery, 18-inch black-finish alloy wheels, passive entry, push-button start, hands-free power liftgate, dual-function X-Mode with hill descent control.
• Limited XT ($38,755): In addition to the 2.4-liter engine, it mimics the regular Limited trim.
• Touring XT ($40,705): In addition to the 2.4-liter engine and regular Touring content, it adds power folding mirrors and 180-degree front-view monitor.

2020 Subaru Outback (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

The Chicago Factor

The Subaru Outback is one of those near-perfect urban vehicles — especially if you have a family or regularly haul stuff in the cargo area. 

It acts like an SUV but drives like a car, which makes it functional and comfortable to drive. Plus, with the standard and available safety technology, you’re less likely to bump into low-lying objects like parking posts. 

Because of its car origins, it’s easy to maneuver in tight urban spaces. Whether you’re in an alley or city parking garage, you have excellent visibility and turning capability. 

2020 Subaru Outback (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

As the city eases its way in to Phase 4 things are starting to feel  a little more normal.

• The Lakefront and 606 trails are open
• Millennium Park is open.
• Restaurants are able to serve indoors.

All with guidelines and restrictions.

Thus it only follows that the temporary ban on ticketing and enforcement during the early phases of COVID is lifted.

In case you’ve gotten a little lax about checking parking regulations, not using your residential parking permits or paying deferred taxes, you once again need to become vigilant.

Beginning July 1, the City will use a staggered approach to phase in the collection of business taxes that have been deferred, as well as resume regular ticketing and collections. 

The resumption of collection activities will be phased in over a few months.  In addition to posting tax payment due dates online, DOF will be sending notices to taxpayers, utility customers and motorists about the compliance due dates and information about the City’s payment plan options. The temporary suspension of booting will continue.

Key dates to know:

Beginning July 1

• Late payment penalties will be assessed on past due utility balances.
• Past due payment plans will be defaulted.
• Collection and enforcement activities including booting will continue.
• Residential and municipal utility customers with payment due dates prior to June 30 will not be assessed additional penalties until July 1.
• Ticket enforcement activities will increase citywide including street sweeping violations.

Beginning July 15

• Certain deferred tax payments will become due.
• Motorists will receive a grace period through July 15 to purchase residential parking permits, city stickers and renew license plates before enforcement begins on July 16.

By clicking here, www.Chicago.gov/newstartchicago, residents can sign up for a flexible payment plans for tickets and utility bills with a lower down payment and up to 60 months to repay amounts due. 

Residents can learn more or make payments online at Chicago.gov/finance.

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