2024 Annual Event recap
In celebration: MPC’s 90th Anniversary Event
On October 23, 2024, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) hosted our annual event, with a special commemoration of the 90th anniversary year. This pivotal year marks a significant milestone in MPC’s legacy of driving impactful change within the built environment of the Chicago region. The event, themed Celebrating 90 Years Strong: MPC’s Impact on Advancing Equity showcased the influential work that has helped to reshape policies and practices, promoting fairness and inclusivity across diverse communities of the Chicago region.
Throughout the year leading up to this event, MPC hosted a series of signature events that built off MPC’s legacy and leadership in the water, land use, and transportation fields, showcasing some of our ongoing initiatives and informing our work going forward.
The annual event celebrated the transformational change that has been felt and experienced in these areas — and honored many of the individuals and partners who have made that impact possible. Almost 400 passionate changemakers attended the event at The Geraghty in Chicago to acknowledge past accomplishments and get inspired for future initiatives, organizational expansion and new leadership.
MPC Board Chair Paul Carlisle reflected on his two decades-long engagement with MPC, highlighting the collaborative efforts of projects that have convened diverse individuals, governments, businesses, and coalitions to address the Region’s challenges. He recognized efforts in key areas:
- MPC has played a lead role in active transportation planning and advocacy and is calling for innovative and collaborative solutions to the pending fiscal cliff in public transportation.
- MPC has catalyzed impact in housing through the formation of the Cook County Land Bank, the Employer-Assisted Housing program, the Regional Rental Market Analysis, and the crowdsourced Busted Commute project.
- MPC has advanced research and policy that reshapes narratives and centers on systemic challenges, moving the conversation forward around the need for strategic, equitable land use practices as represented by our ongoing Zoning & Land Use Assessment project.
After thanking supporters and contributors to these projects, Paul went on to honor two incredible individuals who have shaped and improved the built environment of our Region through their planning, leadership, creativity and passion. The MPC Champions of Change Award was presented to longtime MPC Board Member and civic leader George A. Ranney, Jr. for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to civic progress. The award was accepted on George’s behalf by his daughter Alison P. Ranney.
The 2024 MPC Community Impact Award was presented to Leslé Honoré, artist, poet, writer and community advocate, for her diverse contributions to advancing social justice. As CEO of Urban Gateways and Steering Committee member of Elevated Chicago, she has shown her powerful ability to humanize systemic challenges in the built environment through artful solutions that amplify marginalized voices and bridge societal gaps. In accepting her award, Leslé remarked about the importance of art in the community and how partnerships are pivotal in advancing racial equity.
New MPC President & CEO Dan Lurie concluded the evening with congratulations to the award recipients and his own reflections on MPC’s 90 years of impact. He continued with inspirational remarks for a forward-thinking view that anticipates future challenges and connects community to overcome them. He recognized the need for continued involvement, saying “MPC’s legacy is based on a community of people who have done high-impact work and stayed connected to the organization. Many of those people are in the room tonight…that is unique and more than just the sum of the work itself. This community is powerful.”
MPC would like to thank our 50 individual and corporate sponsors for their generous support of the annual event as well as the earlier signature events. We thank The Geraghty Chicago for hosting us in their beautiful venue and their support of all the vendors who made the evening such a success: the valet, the AV team, the catering staff, bartenders, servers, and décor team. Finally, we extend our deep appreciation to MPC staff, Board, Executive Advisors and partners who contributed their time and talent to tonight’s event and who make our work possible every day.
Guests at the event enjoyed a series of videos created to celebrate our 90-year history and highlight the life and work of our honorees. We invite you to view these stories: