Why Should Gang Membership Be a Status Symbol? Status Crimes and \u3cem\u3eCity of Chicago v. Youkhana\u3c/em\u3e

In City of Chicago v. Morales, the Supreme Court struck down Chicago\u27s anti-gang loitering ordinance on void-for-vagueness grounds. As a result, the Court did not answer the question left open by the Illinois Court of Appeals in City of Chicago v. Youkhana of whether the ordinance criminalized the status of being a gang member in violation of the Eighth Amendment\u27s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. This Comment considers the question by examining the historical backdrop of status offenses as it relates to both constitutional and common law precedent. In order to determine whether an otherwise constitutional reenactment of the ordinance would nevertheless run afoul of the Eighth Amendment, Brookstein considers the factors courts have weighed in addressing status offenses and their applicability to gang membership. This Comment concludes by proposing an analytical model incorporating the explicit and implicit factors utilized by courts, which can be applied to determine whether gang membership is in fact a status under the Eighth Amendment

When History Is History: Maxwell Street, Integrity, and the Failure of Historic Preservation Law

As part of its $500-million expansion, the University of Illinois, Chicago Campus, is expanding its present campus south over the area that includes historic Maxwell Street, Chicago\u27s entry point for disparate ethnic and racial groups. Interested parties sought to have the area declared a historic district under the National Historic Preservation Act in order to prevent demolition of many buildings in the area. The nomination was subsequently rejected by the keeper of the National Register, after the city of Chicago recommended against nomination due to Maxwell Street\u27s blighted condition. This Note explores historic preservation law in general and as it relates to Maxwell Street specifically, concluding that culturally and historically significant properties of minority groups must be afforded increased protection from local political pressures. This Note concludes by proposing statutory guidelines that local governments should follow in order to properly implement federal historic preservation laws and regulations

Why Should Gang Membership Be a Status Symbol? Status Crimes and \u3cem\u3eCity of Chicago v. Youkhana\u3c/em\u3e

In City of Chicago v. Morales, the Supreme Court struck down Chicago\u27s anti-gang loitering ordinance on void-for-vagueness grounds. As a result, the Court did not answer the question left open by the Illinois Court of Appeals in City of Chicago v. Youkhana of whether the ordinance criminalized the status of being a gang member in violation of the Eighth Amendment\u27s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. This Comment considers the question by examining the historical backdrop of status offenses as it relates to both constitutional and common law precedent. In order to determine whether an otherwise constitutional reenactment of the ordinance would nevertheless run afoul of the Eighth Amendment, Brookstein considers the factors courts have weighed in addressing status offenses and their applicability to gang membership. This Comment concludes by proposing an analytical model incorporating the explicit and implicit factors utilized by courts, which can be applied to determine whether gang membership is in fact a status under the Eighth Amendment

Ambient energy for buildings: Beyond energy efficiency

The following Key Messages comprise the salient findings of this study:1. Ambient energy (from sun, air, ground, and sky) can heat and cool buildings; provide hot water, ventilation, and daylighting; dry clothes; and cook food. These services account for about three-quarters of building energy consumption and a third of total US demand. Biophilic design (direct and indirect connections with nature) is an intrinsic adjunct to ambient energy systems, and improves wellness and human performance.2. The current strategy of electrification and energy efficiency for buildings will not meet our climate goals, because the transition to an all-renewable electric grid is too slow. Widespread adoption of ambient energy is needed. Solar-heated buildings also flatten the seasonal demand for electricity compared to all-electric buildings, reducing required production capacity and long-term energy storage. In addition, ambient-conditioned buildings improve resilience by remaining livable during power outages.3. National policies, incentives, and marketing should be enacted to promote ambient energy use. Federal administrative priorities should reflect the importance of ambient energy for buildings. Use of ambient energy should be encouraged through existing and new building codes and standards.4. Ambient energy system design tools are needed for architects, engineers, builders, building scientists, realtors, appraisers, and consumers. PVWatts is used over 100 million times per year for photovoltaic system design. A similar, simple, and accessible tool for ambient design is crucial.5. Training on ambient energy is needed throughout secondary, post-secondary, and continuing education for workforce development. Currently, only about 10% of colleges teach courses on passive heating and cooling systems.6. Ambient-conditioned buildings should be demonstrated in all US climate zones. Performance should be monitored and reported, with quantitative case studies made widely available.7. While current technology is sufficient to build high-performance ambient buildings now, research is needed to develop new technologies to harness ambient energy more effectively and more economically. Such advancements will facilitate adoption of ambient energy technologies in a wider range of buildings, including retrofits. Examples include windows with much lower thermal losses, use of the building shell for thermal storage, alternative light-weight thermal storage systems, sky-radiation cooling systems, automated controls for solar gains and passive cooling, and ground coupling