Suhail al Chalabi, urban planner who helped city, suburbs, dies at 74

Urban planner and consultant Suhail al Chalabi was a master at analyzing the economic impact of developments, from high-profile proposals like those for a south suburban airport and the Illiana Expressway to more mundane and less visible infrastructure initiatives.

“He was an expert in economics and population and those kinds of things,” Ed Paesel said. Paesel met Mr. al Chalabi in the mid-1980s when Paesel was mayor of Sauk Village and Mr. al Chalabi was a consultant to Illinois for a third airport proposed for a site near Peotone.

Paesel, now executive director of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, said one study Mr. al Chalabi and his group produced in the late 1980s looked at what the south suburbs needed to do for economic revival…Please click here to read Graydon Megan’s story in the Tribune. His obituary and a guest book can be found here. Phil Kadner remembers our Southland friend, Suhail al Chalabi, here.