Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Progress Report

Report dissects Chicago’s ETOD progress

By Carrie Shepherd | Axios Chicago
Published May 19, 2026

This Axios Chicago article details the May 19, 2026 release of “The State of ETOD” by transit and housing advocates, a report that examines Chicago’s progress five years after it adopted its first equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) plan. Authoring organizations include Elevated Chicago, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), and the DePaul Institute for Housing Studies, among others. City and state leaders have implemented policies that prioritize access to public transit when building and revitalizing residential and commercial properties, but more work is needed to ensure ETOD doesn’t favor wealthier, white neighborhoods as it has in the past, according to the report.

Chicago’s first ETOD plan in 2021 outlined 42 recommendations around affordable housing, access to public transit, walkable neighborhoods and investment in historically disinvested areas.