Resources

Building on our work with the State of Illinois' Future of Work Taskforce, MPC and the Latino Policy Forum collaborated to release a policy brief with recommendations for how the State of Illinois can ensure a bright future for Latino workers. 

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This guide is written for anyone who has a stake in the improvement of neighborhoods. It also is for people who will be managing and coordinating a Placemaking process, whether for a small corner, community center, park, street, or an entire neighborhood. It describes the process and steps for developing a Placemaking program and engaging citizens from the beginning of the project through its implementation—while also bringing in public, professional and technical resources in a supportive and creative way.

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Tax Reform Issue Brief.

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Summary: Since transportation capital is largely funded at the state level, the city needs to be an advocate for sufficient, sustainable funding in the Illinois General Assembly, especially for transit. Plain and simple: investing in transit is good for our economy and results in economic growth. Chicago-region studies show that for every dollar invested in transit yields between $1.21-$3 in economic returns, and has significant benefits to residents, employers and communities including more jobs, less traffic, higher property values, and improved air quality to name a few. Currently, 31 percent of the Regional Transportation Authority’s transit system is beyond its…

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CHALLENGES According to the 2000 census, the six-county Chicago region grew by 11 percent in population and 16 percent in jobs in the last decade, but lost more than 28,000 apartments.   Illinois experienced a similar discrepancy: population increased by nearly nine percent, jobs by nearly 14 percent, but again the rental housing stock shrunk by two percent. Despite local and state efforts to overcome segregation and invest in a competitive workforce, these trends are particularly severe in high job-growth areas and revitalizing neighborhoods, where homeownership is out of reach for entry-level workers. For example, according to a 2003 study…

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In an effort to improve the parking and transportation conditions in the area to better support local businesses and residents, the Wicker Park Bucktown Special Services Area #33 partnered with CMAP and the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) to review existing conditions and provide strategic recommendations for parking management. Parking management can benefit everyone — even people who don’t drive. Good parking management balances the needs of drivers, businesses, and their customers with overall transportation efficiency and community impact.

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Through the Drinking Water 1-2-3 Technical Assistance program, MPC coordinated expert assistance to help communities tackle their most pressing water challenges. In Sauk Village, MPC worked with Village staff and a contract engineer to conduct a water audit utilizing the American Water Works Association’s M36 methodology. The report identified rates of real and apparent losses in the Village's water system and recommended a number of steps which can be taken by Sauk Village. For more information, visit metroplanning.org/academy.  

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During a time of historic economic change, the strength of the Chicagoland region – or any region across the nation, for that matter -- depends on smart federal investment strategies.  As more and more communities need resources to fund outdated infrastructure, deal with the foreclosure crisis, retrain workers, and respond to climate change, it’s no longer acceptable to dole out funding based on politically contrived formulas. Our public resources need to be directed where they will have the greatest benefit and most significant return, as well as reward innovation and collaboration. Federal investments should put communities on a clear path…

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This paper describes and evaluates reforms which simulate the impact of the new state aid programs using measures of the local property tax base and pupil counts from the 1996–97 school year.

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Issue Brief No.2

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Listen to this recording of the Oct. 13, 2009, half-day forum, co-facilitated by Openlands and Metroplanning Planning Council, which examined recommendations for sustainable water supply planning. The event featured panel discussions on four topics paramount to Illinois' water future: reinventing infrastructure investment, linking land use planning and water supply analysis, spurring demand management solutions, and optimizing Illinois' Lake Michigan diversion.The "Before the Wells Run Dry" forum was hosted by Drinker Biddle Gardner Carton and graciously sponsored by Illinois American Water and Christopher B. Burke Engineering.

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Listen to this roundtable event, recorded Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, at which MPC released Bus Rapid Transit: Chicago's New Route to Opportunity, a vision for a 10-route Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network in Chicago that is feasible, best supports existing neighborhood assets, and fills accessibility gaps in the current transit network.

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Since the onset of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Plan for Transformation in 1999, radical changes have occurred, both inside and outside the agency. Internally, under new leadership, the CHA has transformed itself from a 2,600-person organization in charge of multiple objectives well beyond the provision of housing (such as policing, social service delivery, and property management) to a 500-person agency whose fundamental role is as an “asset manager.” Tasks now are assigned to professional private contractors (developers, managers, nonprofit organizations, etc.) or handled by appropriate public partners (city departments and sister agencies). Externally, during this same period, the concept…

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A significant goal of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Plan for Transformation is to create job opportunities and promote self-sufficiency for families living in public housing.

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CHA Plan for Transformation Update

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This MPC Update on the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation delves into strategies for successfully involving residents in Chicago's new mixed-income communities.

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This MPC update on the Chicago Housing Authority Plan for Transformation explored the status of workforce development for residents.

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Examined the relationship between development practices and water quality and quantity in a 12-county northeastern Illinois region.

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The Chicago region has a rich network of transportation options, yet we waste billions of dollars and countless hours each year in traffic congestion. Although we continue to invest in rebuilding and expanding our transportation system, we cannot build our way out of congestion. We must make the most efficient use of our existing network: We need transportation demand management (TDM).

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Chicago's vacant and tax-delinquent land acquisition procedures can be improved to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and accelerate the revitalization of many neighborhoods.

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Water affordability is a growing concern. Over the past decade, the average residential water rate went up by almost 80% in northeastern Illinois, and many households will soon find their water bills unaffordable if water rates continue to rise at the expected pace. The City of Chicago Water Affordability Analysis from Elevate and Metropolitan Planning Council shows the state of water affordability in Chicago by using water billing data from Chicago’s residential water customers. The study found that water burden – the percentage of a household’s income that goes toward paying water bills – in Chicago is significant. Chicago’s lowest…

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Safe streets are some of our most valuable public spaces.  In March, MPC and CDOT co-hosted Designing for Complete Streets, a workshop for CDOT and IDOT employess that discussed ways to design streets that are safe for all forms of traffic.  This fact sheet describes the components of a Complete Street and illustrates how Complete Streets policies are spreading across the country. 

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Summary Chicago needs inclusive, comprehensive planning efforts across the city. The following recommendations are designed to improve the structure and capacity of DPD so that there is a focus on comprehensive planning, community engagement, and project implementation in neighborhoods across the city. This will require centralizing some of the current functions that Aldermen are actively engaged in, like zoning, as well as reorganizing the department and providing additional staff resources. Note: Many of these ideas are aligned with and adapted from the Shriver Center’s report “A City Fragmented.” Comprehensive Plan for Chicago The City does not have a comprehensive plan…

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The Comprehensive Regional Planning Fund (CRPF) is a dedicated source of funding for effective comprehensive planning throughout Illinois. It supports regional planning in rural and metropolitan areas of state through federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) such as the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

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Metropolitan Planning Council submitted a letter of support to Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and Commissioner Bridget Gainer on the proposal for a countywide land bank. On July 24, 2012, MPC President MarySue Barrett was named chair of the County's Land Bank Advisory Committee.

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By Dr. John Augenblick and Mr. Justin Silverstein OVERVIEW In September 2000, Augenblick and Myers, Inc. entered into a contract with the Metropolitan Planning Council to conduct a study of the cost of an adequate education in Illinois public schools and the development of an adjustment to that cost to reflect the added costs associated with serving students from low-income families. The study was conducted to provide the Network 21: Quality Schools and Stronger Communities Coalition with recommendations on an adequate foundation level to ensure that the foundation level is sufficient to provide a quality education for every student in…

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The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) recently released a report as a product of its Regional Cooperation Initiative.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Highlights of leadership forums sponsored by The Urban Land Institute and the Campaign for Sensible Growth.

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A review of the role state governments play in providing technical assistance to water utilities. Executive Summary Black, Indigenous, and people of color are more likely than white people to live in municipalities with lead service lines, experience water shut-offs, reside in communities facing water affordability challenges, and miss out on the benefits of federally subsidized water infrastructure financing.Metropolitan Planning Council research examines the role of state governments in strengthening the long-term capacity of water utilities to address these racial inequities.

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Despite Chicago’s Sanctuary City status, we’re losing immigrants. It’s a threat to our communities and economy that we can no longer ignore

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Report from the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University regarding anti-displacement strategies in East Garfield Park

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Authors: Michael Wieczorek, King Harris Summer InternJuan Sebastian Arias, Manager, Housing & Community Development Rent control (rent stabilization) has many moving parts. This slideshow breaks down what rent stabilization is teaching us about our communities.

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MPC's co-sponsoring Living With Growth project which uses community participation to manage growth at the local level.

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In this report, Network 21: Quality Schools and Stronger Communities takes a critical look at technology use in Illinois schools, and makes recommendations for how to improve students' and teachers' skills.

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When the Bronzeville Alliance, a coalition of local community organizations, invited the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) to help staff and provide recommendations to its Bronzeville Retail Initiative, MPC jumped at the opportunity to support coordinated retail planning, retention, and recruitment efforts in this community. This work advances and complements Reconnecting Neighborhoods, a partnership between the City of Chicago, Regional Transportation Authority, the consulting firm HNTB, and MPC’s Community Building Initiative, to forward retail, transit and pedestrian improvements around the Plan for Transformation in the Chicago’s Mid-South, Near West, and Near North neighborhoods.  Charged with guiding the Bronzeville Alliance toward its…

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Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th Ward), Ald. Helen Shiller (46th Ward), and Uptown United reached out to MPC and the Urban Land Institute-Chicago (ULI) to conduct a two-day ULI Technical Assistance Panel for the Argyle District, a pan-Asian retail strip on Chicago's North Side. The panel brought together experts in the fields of business and community development, marketing, real estate development, planning, and design. The panel also included volunteers with relevant cultural knowledge of the community to ensure the recommendations were grounded and realistic, given the districts unique ethnic makeup. The panel met in November 2008 to explore marketing, leadership…

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An Assessment of Northeastern Illinois’ Regional Development Structures and Tools The Metropolitan Planning Council’s vision for an economically competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially equitable Chicago region requires smarter prioritization of projects and coordinated execution. Many of the structures (i.e. entities) and tools (e.g. bonding, taxing, eminent domain) necessary to implement coordinated and prioritized investments already exist in the Chicago region. If deployed differently, these existing structures and tools would result in more efficient and effective implementation of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s GO TO 2040, World Business Chicago’s economic plan and other regional blueprints. Doing so will require identification and evaluation…

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MPC's EAH Guidebook is a compendium of our experience in promoting EAH in Chicago and around the nation since 2001. It answers frequently asked questions from employers about why they might offer EAH and how to best use the financial incentives available. It also offers a case study of the University of Chicago's success with EAH. Read the EAH Guidebook

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This document is intended as a primer for discussion about school finance issues in Illinois. The purpose is to clearly analyze how schools are funded, including a discussion of state and local contributions to education costs.

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Through the Drinking Water 1-2-3 Technical Assistance program, MPC coordinated expert assistance to help communities tackle their most pressing water challenges. Together with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, MPC worked with the south suburban Village of Hazel Crest to identify the probable location of lead service lines which connect a property to a utility’s water main. This effort also created a targeted replacement plan for the Village to remove all lead service lines over time, eliminating a potential public health threat. A suite of public education materials — including content for the Village’s website, newsletter, public access TV channel, and…

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The employer-assisted housing (EAH) initiative, undertaken by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) in collaboration with nonprofit Regional Employer-assisted Collaboration for Housing (REACH) partners and regional employers, picked up great momentum in 2002.  Started in 2000, a pilot program at one company began assisting employees with homeownership.  In 2001, five new employers signed on to develop EAH programs.  The initiative also received broader recognition, including new incentives from the state of Illinois and awards from outside institutions.[2] 1 36 Joseph Corporation In 2002, 15 employees bought homes through EAH initiatives with MPC and REACH partners.  All were first-time homebuyers, with incomes…

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The employer-assisted housing (EAH) initiative undertaken by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) in collaboration with nonprofit housing organizations and regional employers made strides forward during the first half of 2002.  Started in 2000, a model program provided homes for 36 St. Charles-based System Sensor employees.  In 2001, five new employers signed on to develop EAH initiatives.  The initiative also received broader recognition, including new incentives from the state of Illinois and awards from outside institutions.  During the first half of 2002, three new employers signed on, and the new programs announced in 2001 got off the ground and have begun…

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The mid-year report will be updated shortly with new year-end data, including information on more successful homebuyers and more employer sign-ons. The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and its partners took employer-assisted housing (EAH) efforts in new directions in 2004, continuing programs with the nonprofit Regional Employer-Assisted Collaboration for Housing (REACH) and employers in the six-county Chicago region, building a new partnership with the Statewide Housing Action Coalition (SHAC), laying the infrastructure for EAH to support the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Plan for Transformation, and strengthening the relationship with State of Illinois departments and agencies. EAH Expands Statewide In 2003, MPC…

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MPC's employer-assisted housing activities and successes in 2005. REACH Illinois 2005 Accomplishments In 2005, employer-assisted housing initiatives in Illinois took great strides forward, with the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and its REACH partners expanding efforts in the Chicago region, and Housing Action Illinois (formerly Statewide Housing Action Coalition) and new REACH partners gearing up statewide. REACH Illinois not only supports bottom-line savings for employers investing in workforce housing, but it improves employees’ lives and helps open doors to housing solutions. Following is a summary of the year’s successes: Housing America 's Workforce Act of 2005 was introduced into the U.S.…

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Employer-assisted housing (EAH) helps employees live near work through down payment or rental assistance, or other types of incentives. Read this brochure to find out how your company can benefit from employer-assisted housing.

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The University of Chicago employer-assisted housing (EAH) program provides downpayment assistance and access to homebuyer education to help employees live near work. From 2003 to 2009, 485 employees received credit counseling and homebuyer education from the nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, and 193 bought homes in nearby communities. The 193 homebuyers now overwhelmingly enjoy shorter commutes — by an average of more than 9 miles. The University of Chicago is one of the 50 active employers throughout Illinois offering employerassisted housing benefits to their workers through the MPC-designed EAH program.

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The employer-assisted housing (EAH) initiative undertaken by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) in collaboration with nonprofit housing organizations and regional employers had a banner year in 2001.  Since early in 2000, the first model program has been providing homes for St. Charles-based System Sensor employees.  In 2001, five new partners signed on to develop employer-assisted housing initiatives and the effort received broader recognition, including new incentives from the state of Illinois and awards from outside organizations. New Partners As System Sensor and the Joseph Corporation housing counseling agency continue their success in helping employees buy homes closer to work, five…

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Serious housing challenges abound throughout metropolitan Chicago, and vary from town to town. In some areas, the demand for affordable housing is greater than the supply. In others, economic development is necessary to revitalize communities and draw potential homeowners to the quality housing available. The future economic health of the region and our local communities is dependent on maintaining a stable and competitive workforce for our businesses and industries, which means we need a diverse range of housing options located near jobs and transportation/transit. In all types of communities, a proven tool is employer-assisted housing (EAH).

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The employer-assisted housing (EAH) initiative, undertaken by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) in collaboration with nonprofit Regional Employer-Assisted Collaboration for Housing (REACH) partners and regional employers, has continued gathering momentum in the first half of 2003. Started in 2000, a pilot program at one company began assisting employees with home ownership. In 2001, five more employers signed on to develop EAH programs. The initiative also received broad recognition, including new incentives from the State of Illinois and awards from outside institutions.1 In 2002, six additional employers publicly announced their commitment to this program, and in the first half of 2003…

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This report recommends coordinated planning and implementation strategies that will capitalize on the work of the pilot regional planning groups, integrate regional plans with state and local practices, and ensure the long-term sustainability and efficient use of our finite, fragile water resources. A bottom-up approach supported by local management of water supplies is necessary to ensure state policies, programs and investments support the regional planning process, and coincide with local support of data-rich and stakeholder-driven regional water supply plans. The Metropolitan Planning Council and Openlands are grateful to the Joyce Foundation and Lumpkin Family Foundation, whose support made this report…

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The widespread shortage of affordable housing is prompting some local governments to rethink conventional zoning in order to expand the variety and availability of their housing stock. One innovative tool is inclusionary zoning. This enables local governments to use their zoning powers to foster development of affordable housing by requiring developers to include affordable options when they build market-rate housing.

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Telecommunications & Technology Issue Brief No.2

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We're in the middle of a renaissance of sorts along Chicago's waterways. The catch? Most people aren't familiar with the ground-breaking, community-centered, nationally-significant work that's been happening in recent years. That's why MPC launched an interactive story map, Explore Our Great Rivers, in August 2021. This map highlights community activation projects funded through The Chicago Community Trust’s Our Great Rivers grant. The focus of these projects include community planning, research, advocacy, arts and culture, and more. In-depth stories about each project can be found on MPC's blog. Here's a peek at the interactive map: Exploring Our Great Rivers An event…

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From the outset, it's clear that the Biden Administration will approach urban policy and planning with a different lens than its predecessor. This Jan. 29, 2021, event featured the leaders of SPUR of the Bay Area, the Metropolitan Planning Council of Chicago, and Regional Plan Association of the New York City-New Jersey-Connecticut region, discussing what the next federal administration may mean for regional planning, research, and policy change.  Speakers: Alicia John-Baptiste, President & CEO, SPUR MarySue Barrett, President, Metropolitan Planning Council Tom Wright, President, Regional Plan Association Moderator:  Calvin Gladney, President & CEO, Smart Growth America  Excerpts from the event:…

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Far too often, plans sit idle on a shelf, never to be seen again. This is not the case for the rivers in Chicago, where new murals have been erected, interactive museums launched, and transformative streetscapes built. Join MPC for a lunch-hour celebration as we launch our interactive Rivers Storymap Project: a unique, interactive tool that highlights grassroots-scale activation. We’ll hear behind-the-scenes information from some of the local change-makers and community advocates about the transformative efforts becoming reality along Chicago’s rivers. Panelists:  Chloe Gurin-Sands (Manger of Equity & Planning, Metropolitan Planning Council) Alex Perez (Advocacy Manager, Active Transportation Alliance) Carson Poole (Organizer, The…

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In 2020, Daylight and MPC explored the potential untapped economies of scale to be gained in a shared service arrangement for maintaining green stormwater infrastructure across municipalities in the Calumet region. This research supports the work of our Calumet Stormwater Collaborative partner organization, OAI, Inc., which is leading a pilot project with the goal of directly addressing the need for effective and efficient maintenance of green infrastructure while also helping to address other community needs. The report includes sample shared service agreement language and reference agreements and contracts.

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The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) shapes policies and supports direct investments in an economically competitive, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable Chicagoland region. Implementing this vision requires public investment and development policies spanning multiple agencies and sources that are based on the following proven principles. MPC and its partners have outlined three principles that should guide public investment, prioritized against criteria and reflective of community goals identifi ed through comprehensive local and regional plans.

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This event is part two of our Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on Chicagoland communities series. COVID-19 has been a traumatic and revealing experience for everyone, but in drastically different ways from one community to another. Tax policy has a lot to do with that. Communities dependent on sales and other consumption taxes have seen catastrophic results very quickly. Communities dependent on property taxes have been buffered… for now. Many places fall somewhere in between. This event will feature experts in municipal finance and governance, examining both near-term and longer-term consequences of the ongoing pandemic, and looking ahead to what shifts are…

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RRMA technical report and modeling exercise that presents likely vacancy rates and rental variation for 2004 and 2009

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Friends of MPC talk about the Council's role in Chicagoland and their lives. This video was featured at MPC's 2005 Annual Luncheon.

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Recently, many planning professionals and advocates have had to come to grips with how their work within the built environment can help to perpetuate institutional racism and injustice. With this new revelation, it’s more important than ever to take an active role in dismantling systems that do not protect society’s most vulnerable communities. This workshop with MUSE Community + Design pinpoints actions for how self-identified allies can leverage their power and privilege to create meaningful advancements towards diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations.

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A Coordinated Agenda for the 2003 Federal Transportation Debate

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Getting Wired Workshop Reports.

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Getting Wired Workshop Reports.

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Read Glass Half Full >> We are lucky: In northeastern Illinois, we generally enjoy an ample amount of water thanks to our location along the shores of a Great Lake. But that good fortune has lulled us into complacency, and our drinking water systems have been neglected. Our proverbial glass is half empty. This is the Metropolitan Planning Council’s bid to raise awareness, and our call to action on addressing water supply issues in our region. We are ready to form stronger partnerships with elected officials, utility managers and operators, funders, private organizations, nonprofits and others to advance a 10-point…

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Summary The city needs to think and act more like the regional partner it is. Chicago’s pursuit of increased transit funding, better transit performance, sustainable water management and other critical issues suffer from Chicago’s reluctance to partner with other regional actors. By reengaging in collaborative efforts locally and regionally—such as the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus—Chicago stands to benefit. Regional Re-engagement Chicago has withdrawn from meaningful, collaborative engagement with neighboring suburbs, but also with likeminded cities throughout the Great Lakes. Despite being a founding member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Chicago has disengaged…

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On Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010, MPC and The Times Media Company launched the Gary Region and Investment Project (GRIP), in Gary, Ind. This guide provided participants at the event with information about GRIP, including major a detailed list of projects in progress that can revitalize Gary and Northwest Indiana.

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This report summarizes the first phase of the Gary and Region Investment Project, highlighting the notable speakers and participant feedback from the October 27, 2010 GRIP the Future launch event and the results from the community survey conducted both at the event and broadly through GRIP partners and media outlets throughout Northwest Indiana.

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Development near transit helped double Chicago's downtown population between 2000 and 2010—even as the city as a whole lost population. By building new opportunities for people of all incomes to live, work and shop near transit in neighborhoods across the city, we can grow Chicago and give more Chicagoans excellent access to high-quality schools, jobs, retail and parks. Explore the vision and calculate the benefits.

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The Metropolitan Planning Council convened a Historical Reckoning Working Group to explore historical acknowledgement and make recommendations to the City on how to begin a city-led process of historical acknowledgement and reckoning through the We Will Chicago citywide planning process. This report summarizes the process the Historical Reckoning Working Group used, the recommendations made for We Will Chicago, ideas for a broader historical reckoning process, and a timeline of harms, resistance, and solidarity.

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In the 1930s, far too many Chicagoans lived in overcrowded, rat-infested, ramshackle tenement slums. Poised for change, in 1934, a group of concerned citizens founded the Metropolitan Housing Council (MHC). They wasted no time in advancing their main objective: improving the city's housing stock by enforcing standards, collecting statistics, and promoting neighborhood planning. Even then, the Council wasn't above a attention-grabbing stunt: at the 1934 Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago, MHC transformed a Chicago shack into a "Cape Cod cottage" in 24 hours, proving it was possible to change the city's slums. By decade's end, they had made…

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Up to $6,000 for home energy improvements Many employers in metropolitan Chicago have experienced the benefits of investing in employer-assisted housing (EAH), through which they assist their employees to buy or rent homes near work. Empllyer benefits include improved company morale, increased productivity, and reduced turnover - as well as related cost savings and potential tax credits. The region's new home renovation intiative builds on EAH by allowing employers to help their employees make energy-efficient and cost-saving home improvements. An employer's contribution up to $3,000 can be matched, to leverage a total of $6,000 for an employee.

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Read Home Grown » These case studies are part of the Homes for a Changing Region Toolkit, a guide for municipalities to create comprehensive housing plans. Each case study covers a housing policy, development, program, or financing strategy; how it works; why it was successful; and how it was funded. Case studies address a range of community housing issues, from affordability to accessibility and from property management to demolition.

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Best Practices from the Metropolitan Chicago Region This collection—compiled by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Chicago Metropolis 2020, and Metropolitan Planning Council—describes a number of housing “best practices” implemented by local governments around the Chicago metropolitan region. The intent is to show local policymakers and practitioners how their peers are addressing housing issues, and spark ideas for replicating or improving upon these approaches to address their own local housing challenges. This collection demonstrates that exciting, innovative, local efforts are contributing to a quality, diverse housing stock that meets the needs of a variety of residents in our region. Summaries new for 2010 Housing Policy and GovernanceCity of…

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The initial 2005 report, by Chicago Metropolis 2020 and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, that launched the Homes for a Changing Region series.

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Homes for a Changing Region, led by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, is identifying specific, local, regional and state strategies to address imbalances in northeastern Illinois' housing stock. MPC is supporting the evolution of Homes for a Changing Region by encouraging neighboring communities to work together to develop interjurisdictional solutions to housing challenges and by using transparent community engagement strategies to develop these solutions. This sixth Homes report focuses on work with five communities together in the West Cook subregion: Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood, and Oak Park.

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Homes for a Changing Region, led by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, is identifying specific, local, regional and state strategies to address imbalances in northeastern Illinois' housing stock. MPC is supporting the evolution of Homes for a Changing Region by encouraging neighboring communities to work together to develop interjurisdictional solutions to housing challenges and by using transparent community engagement strategies to develop these solutions. This fifth Homes report focuses on work with four communities together in one subregion: Hazel Crest, Lansing, Olympia Fields and Park Forest.

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The seventh report in the Homes for a Changing Region series, with plans for Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Palatine and Rolling Meadows.

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The second report in the Homes for a Changing Region series, with plans for Aurora, Libertyville and Oak Forest.

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The fourth Homes for a Changing Region report, with plans for Blue Island, Plainfield and Woodstock.

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The third Homes for a Changing Region report, featuring plans for Gurnee, Montgomery and Northlake.

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Housing 1-2-3 is a step-by-step guidebook designed to make the complex issues of planning, developing, preserving, and managing housing more understandable for municipalities and real estate professionals. The housing market expands and contracts, but the need for a diverse housing stock remains constant. Housing is one of the most basic needs in our society. A balanced housing strategy supports a wide range of quality options for people of every age, household composition, race, or income level. However, all too often, communities lack housing diversity. Beyond the question of equity, a lack of housing options has significant economic impacts – workers…

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Housing Trends and the Geography of Race, Poverty, and Neighborhood Renewal is one of seven technical reports of the Regional Rental Market Analysis (RRMA), a broad examination of metropolitan Chicago’s residential rental market. The RRMA contains a wide range of information necessary to craft innovative policies, programs, and investment strategies to address the future of the region’s housing market. The Metropolitan Planning Council, serving as project manager, contracted with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to undertake this research with the Washington, DC-based Urban Institute and the local Applied Real Estate Analysis. Appendix

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MPC hosted the virtual event, Activated Rivers, Stronger Communities: Stories from our region’s waterways, on May 28, 2020. This event highlighted the success and challenges of community groups in creating riverfront projects along the Chicago River South Branch, Calumet River and Des Plaines River. This event had more than 90 attendees and included a poll, prior to the hearing from the panelists and speakers. The poll included questions about whether attendees use their rivers and how they like to enjoy them. Each questions allowed participants to select more than one answer. The poll received 51 responses. The following pages include…

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Watch this news segment from WGN-TV Channel 9 on MPC's congestion pricing report, which aired July 14, 2010.

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"Water? That’s not a problem. We live on the Great Lakes." Despite the region’s seemingly unlimited availability of water highly visible Lake Michigan, rivers and streams, the Midwest faces severe water problems. There is flooding, deteriorating quality of its streams and rivers, depletion of underground water resources, and potential drinking water shortages—as well as the need for land to accommodate new housing and economic development. This ideas@work deals with the dual challenges of maintaining northeastern Illinois’ water quality and quantity, and offers recommendations for action by residents, businesses and governments.

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Water and land use are inter-related. Communities cannot develop without sources of drinkable water. Conversely, poorly planned development is often a major cause of water pollution, can result in water shortages, and can be a major factor in both local and regional flooding. In response, some communities have turned to watershed planning to encourage sustainable growth and protect their water resources. This ideas@work provides an overview of watershed planning and how it can be a tool to guide land use decisions and safeguard our water supplies.

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The Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit Program (IAHTC), which provides a 50 cent credit on state income tax liability for every $1 invested in an employer-assisted housing (EAH) program — is an effective tool to engage employers in housing solutions and increase homeownership among working families. Renewing the tax credit demonstrates that the State of Illinois is committed to partnering with the private sector to help our workforce live near work.

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MPC has been working with national, state and local REALTORS® Associations to create a seamless process that ensures home buyers working with REALTORS® can receive consistent, helpful information about employer-assisted housing (EAH). Download this fact sheet, which explains how REALTORS® can play a role in connecting home buyers to EAH programs. The fact sheet also promotes a continuing education course for REALTORS® focused on EAH, which will be available in Illinois in 2011. Sponsored by the National and Illinois Associations of REALTORS®, the class will feature information about Illinois-specific EAH partnerships and incentives for employers.

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Download infographics from report (EPS and PNG formats, 2.4MB) The Chicago area is privileged to be situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, the third largest of the Great Lakes, which altogether account for 20 percent of the world’s readily available freshwater. Lake Michigan supports a unique ecosystem, provides a breathtaking natural contrast to Chicago’s skyline and the many communities lining its shores, and offers a critical asset—freshwater—that our residents and businesses rely upon to grow and prosper. However, the presence of this vast Lake too often lends the illusion that our water is limitless. In fact, both the water…

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Highway and RTA Transit Funding Year 3 Progress Report

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Raj Chetty's presentation at MPC's 2019 Annual Luncheon

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On March 26, 2010, MPC joined representatives from the Center for Housing Policy, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, Inc. and  ULI Minnesota in Live at the Forum to discuss recent listening sessions MPC and the Center convened in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., and Atlanta, Ga..  These discussions focused on the challenges and opportunities related  to coordinating housing and transportation investments. This document summarizes best practices and key challenges raised by participants and summarizes policy advances that have begun addressing those issues, including the federal Sustainable Communities Partnership. This piece also highlights upcoming opportunities, including the Livable Communities Act and upcoming federal transportation authorization. Audio from the conference…

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With the goal of revitalizing a swath of Cermak Road in into an area that supports the creative industries, the Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Dept. of Planning and Development, and Ald. Daniel Solis (25th Ward) asked the Urban Land Institute-Chicago and Campaign for Sensible Growth to convene a Technical Assistance Panel of volunteer real estate development experts, urban planning and design professionals, and community development leaders. Ths report outlines their recommendations.

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For more than 80 years, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has made the Chicago region a better place to live and work by partnering with businesses, communities and governments to address the area's toughest planning and development challenges. MPC works to solve today's urgent problems while consistently thinking ahead to prepare the region for the needs of tomorrow.

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Jeff Walk, Director of Science for the Nature Conservancy in Illinois, discusses the relationship between wetlands and open space protection and managing water supplies.  This was recorded after the Metropolitan Planning Council and Openlands' Jan. 26, 2011 roundtable Letting it All Soak In: Nature's Role in Protecting Water Resources.

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For more info: https://metroplanning.org/stormwater or tweet @MPCJosh

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Cook County Jail was an early U.S. hotspot for COVID-19. Since then, there have been efforts to control the spread among incarcerated and returning citizens. As other counties are exploring creative housing solutions during this time, Cook County and Chicago have the opportunity to improve the health and safety and to keep this vulnerable population adequately housed.  This event was co-hosted by Metropolitan Planning Council and Enterprise Community Partners. Speakers: Floyd Stafford, Heartland Alliance [moderator] Destiny Carter, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Lissette Casteneda, LUCHA Sharone Mitchell Jr., Illinois Justice Project

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A short overview of a kayak trip on the Chicago River from Ping Tom Park in Chinatown to the Loop and back.

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Pulling over to let a barge pass safely while kayaking on the Chicago River

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MPC believes a healthy, prosperous region— and its core city—is competitive, equitable and sustainable. In the fall of 2010, we compiled a list of economic development, infrastructure and housing-related challenges the next mayor will face in achieving this goal. The following briefing book provides references and resources to help all of the mayoral candidates develop positions and policies around these issues. We have broken them down to two categories: the Keepers are current programs and initiatives led by the City of Chicago that should continue or be expanded; the Seekers are initiatives, programs and activities that need nurturing and increased…

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Unprecedented actions have been taken at the federal, state and local levels to blunt the crisis' impact, from an eviction moratorium to emergency cash assistance. Still, more must be done. This was the first discussion of an ongoing series exploring an equitable response and recovery to the pandemic. HOSTS Juan Sebastian Arias (Metropolitan Planning Council) Miriam Zuk (Enterprise Community Partners) PANELISTS Mark Swartz (Lawyers Committee for Better Housing) Stacey Young (Preservation Compact/Community Investment Corporation) Jawanza Malone (Lift the Ban Coalition) Daniel Kay Hertz (Chicago Department of Housing)

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Immigrants and undocumented residents are at heightened risk of being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are being left out of many solutions. Long considered a gateway metropolis, the Chicago region is home to over 1.5 million immigrants who today make up nearly 20% of the population. The recent surge in coronavirus cases in Latinx communities lays bare the heightened vulnerability of immigrant communities, due in part to precarious or unsafe work environments for essential workers and overcrowded housing related to the affordability crisis, making it hard for many to stay-at-home.  As our city faces health, economic, and racial challenges…

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Regional Rental Market Analysis, an unprecedented analysis, measured 1999 rent and vacancy rates within each of the six metropolitan Chicago counties and provided forecast levels through 2004 and 2009. The analysis showed the overall vacancy rate in the region was an extremely low 4.2 percent. Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis- Development of Rental Housing- Increasing Access to the Rental Market through Housing Choice Vouchers- A Closer Look at the Jobs-Housing MismatchRegional Rental Market Analysis by geography - Chicago - North Side- Chicago - South Side- Chicago - West Side- Dupage County- Kane County- Lake County- McHenry County- North…

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Frank Trilla of King Car Wash explains the sustainable initiatives of his operation.

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On Sept. 23, 2013, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago celebrated the final detonation in the quarry that will become Thorton Reservoir, part of the district's massive Tunnel and Reservoir Plan.

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MPC partnered with the Latino Policy Forum and UIC's Great Cities Institute for an in-depth study of Latino population trends that have occurred in the region over the past decade. She report sheds more light on what has been a trend in the Chicago region for the past several decades--that is, the Latino population has been growing faster than any group, that growth is higher in the suburbs, and without Latinos, the region would be losing population. The full report is available for download here.

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In 1999, the Metropolitan Planning Council conducted research for the City of Chicago on the zoning rewrite process in 50 major U.S. cities. Chicago was about to embark on a daunting and historic effort to rewrite its zoning code and planned to use MPC’s research to inform its process. The purpose of the research effort was to ascertain how other cities approached zoning reform. Lay of the Land: A National Survey of Zoning Reform was published by MPC in September 1999. It highlighted zoning processes in 10 of the 50 cities: Boston; Detroit; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; New York; Pittsburgh; San Diego; San…

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Exposure to lead can have devastating health consequences. Lead in drinking water poses a significant, complicated public health concern for people today. The safest solution—removal of lead pipes, fixtures and solder—requires extensive planning, capital investment, staff capacity and time. That daunting list can discourage action. Yet, lead must be addressed. There are many immediate actions a community can take, even as it begins planning for a more systemic, long-term solution. Whether or not your community has lead service lines, all municipal leaders can take action today to ensure the safety of residents.

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This press conference took place on May 13, 2021, at 10 a.m. For more information, read the media release. For additional information about lead service line replacement, visit our Water Supply Management page. Sign Natural Resources Defense Council's Action Alert today to let your state lawmakers know that with federal support, there's no better time than now to #ENDleadservicelines and get rid of toxic drinking water in Illinois. 

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Learn more at metroplanning.org/leadinourwater

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The PowerPoint for this event is available as a PDF.  This event was part of Chicago Water Week.  Lead poisoning is a serious public health problem that is even more prevalent in Black and Brown communities. In Illinois, our drinking water is threatened by at least 686,000 service lines—some 400,000 in Chicago alone—made of lead and likely many more, all piping potentially dangerous drinking water into homes and other properties every day. Clean, safe, affordable water should be a given but it’s not—and that needs to change. Join this webinar to learn about state and city solutions that would eliminate…

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Watch this video clip from a June 16, 2011, Metropolitan Planing Council Leadership Circle event, featuring a conversation between T. Boone Pickens, Chair, BP Capital Management, and legendary Chicago broadcaster Bill Kurtis. Pickens and Kurtis proved to be a humorous pair, even while addressing issues such as energy security, pollution, green energy solutions and natural gas, fracking, and Chicago's energy policy. Pickens was in Chicago that day for the official opening of two public access compressed natural gas fueling stations operated by Clean Energy Corporation.  To learn more about MPC's Leadership Circle, read this brochure, or contact MPC Development Director Kirsten Powers at…

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To bring innovation and insight to metropolitan Chicago's transportation discussion, this white paper examines the learnings from the Peer Exchange visits to Stockholm in 2008, and Berlin in 2009. It highlights key transportation innovations at work in these cities and their metropolitan regions, and translates these learnings into a local context.

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Read Let the Dollars Flow » To encourage more communities to apply for a significant but underutilized state low-interest loan for water infrastructure financing, the Metropolitan Planning Council, Ill. Environmental Protection Agency and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus conducted research, stakeholder surveys and interviews to recommend a number of reforms to the State Revolving Fund. Read Let the Dollars Flow »

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Life on Wheels tells the compelling story of a culture on the verge of a revolution that will transform our economy, our environment, and the rhythms of our everyday lives. In this documentary, a collection of mobility mavens, technologists, and visionaries takes viewers on a journey through the highways, back alleys, and futurescapes of transportation – how we get from here to there. Life on Wheels addresses the promises, dangers, and absurdities of our current auto-centric transportation system and explores new possibilities and stories of change. The subject of mobility has vast implications. It touches our core values of freedom, health,…

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Lincon Park Zoo's Senior Vice President of Conservation Programs Steve Thompson explains the zoo's new Nature Boardwalk, which is attractive to animals, fish and people -- and saves water.

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The Little Calumet River Conservation Action Plan (CAP) presents a framework for improving the health of nature and the quality of life for communities along the six and a half mile corridor of the Little Calumet River from its confluence with the Cal-Sag Channel to its confluence with the Grand Calumet River. 

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Little Cal Section 319 Plan 

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The Livable Communities Act (S 1619 and HR 4690) would provide a multi-year authorization for federal sustainability initiatives. The bill authorizes $4 billion over four years for regional planning and challenge grants to make communities more livable, and eliminates federal barriers to sustainable development. Proposed language supported by MPC and national partners would incorporate employer-assisted housing within this legislation.   Engage employers in creating livable communities Contact your legislator and urge support for the Livable Communities Act with incentives for employer-assisted housing. The following legislators are co-sponsors of the legislation. Thank them for their leadership and encourage other legislators to support…

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An overview of MPC's Aviation Fact Sheet series

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Highway and RTA Transit funding Year 4 Progress Report

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The Multifamily Resource Guide – produced by municipal leaders, Preservation Compact, Chicagoland Apartment Association, and partners including MPC offers a list of public and private sector resources including: energy assistance, financing, preservation, tenant relations, and more to assist multifamily property owners in metro Chicago.

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We love to celebrate the construction of new roads, bridges and rails, but how can we remind ourselves of the everyday importance of maintaining what we already have? We added some cake and ribbons to the task of filling potholes to find out.Don't forget to share your photos of transportation frustrations on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with #AccelerateIL. Tell Springfield you want transportation to be a priority in 2015! Go to http://www.accelerateillinois.com to add your name to the list.

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Business Leaders for Transportation's new report, "Making the Case for Public-Private Partnerships in Illinois." PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEEChairJohn GatesFormer Board Chair, Metropolitan Planning Council Members MarySue BarrettPresident, Metropolitan Planning CouncilFrank H. BealExecutive Director, Chicago Metropolis 2020Bernard J. FordSr. Chair, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Transportation Infrastructure CommitteeKit HodgeAssociate, Metropolitan Planning Council James C. LaBelleDeputy Director, Chicago Metropolis 2020Thomas H. MorschCo-Chair, Metropolitan Planning Council Transportation CommitteeRob NashDirector of Government Relations, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Gerald J. RoperPresident and CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of CommercePeter SkoseyVice President of External Relations, Metropolitan Planning Council Maria ChocaUrban Program Director, Chicago Metropolis 2020 Executive Summary To keep…

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Second edition, June 2013 As the foreclosure crisis enters its seventh year, a growing number of single-family homes in the Chicago metropolitan area – some already foreclosed, some in the process of foreclosure – are being rented. Some are being rented by people who have lost their homes, while others are being rented by lenders or investors who have taken title to foreclosed properties. Two things are evident: The demand for quality rental homes has risen sharply and communities must adapt to rapidly increasing numbers of single-family rental homes. In addition, many investors are new to the market and lack…

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As of Oct. 30, 2009, MPC and its partners are actively building several interjurisdictional partnerships throughout northeastern Illinois. Partnerships listed as 'potential' reflect initial conversations with local decision-makers.

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This white paper describes research conducted by MPC Commute Options Project Manager Tim Grzesiakowski and Research Assistant Ziggy Czykieta about marketing transportation services to the Chicago area's Polish community. It discusses the four waves of immigration from Poland to the U.S., where Poles in the Chicago area live, what transit information is provided in Polish, and how Chicago's Polish media covers transportation stories.

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On-the-ground innovations related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution moderated a HUD webcast on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Innovations with three panelists from across the country, including MPC President MarySue Barrett.  MarySue was asked to discuss the motivation and status of the the interjurisdictional work underway in the South Suburbs -- with technical support from MPC and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus -- to respond to the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.   Eighteen communities have formed the South Suburban Housing Collaborative and, with resources from the Chicago Community Trust, recently hired a Director of Housing Initiatives to align programs,…

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Issue Brief Prepared by Nekritz Amdor Andersson Group for the Metropolitan Planning Council October 31, 2024  Issue: The issue presented is whether the Metropolitan Mobility Authority (“MMA”) in SB 3937 impacts the ability of local municipalities to enforce their zoning and land use laws (Collectively “zoning laws”) against property owned or “taken” by eminent domain (a/k/a condemnation) proceedings (and thus subsequently owned) by the proposed authority.   

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In 2014, the Metropolitan Planning Council celebrates 80 years of Reinventing the Region. Read more in MPC's latest annual report: https://metroplanning.org/annualreport/2013/default.aspx

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Since 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has been dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, MPC serves communities and residents by developing, promoting and implementing solutions for sound regional growth.

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Since 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has been dedicated to shaping a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous Chicago region. MPC brings the right people together to take on the biggest challenges, ensuring that in the years and decades yet to come, everyone across the Chicago region will live in more equitable, vibrant neighborhoods, bustling with life and economic opportunity.

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Metropolitan Planning Council and Openlands hosted a roundtable on Aug. 3, 2010, focused on the connections between energy and water use. This was the second event in our summer series, "Choosing our Water Future," and topics explored included: * The energy demands of water systems, and the water demands of energy production, * The impact of energy costs for water consumption on municipal budgets in northeastern Illinois, * The potential for monetization of water-energy savings, and * National and international best practices in utility planning and water-energy conservation. This video features Dr. Michael Webber, Associate Director of the Center for International…

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September 1994 This 1994 report by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), resulting from a regional task force convened in June 1993 and funded by the RTA, said “financial restructuring and service expansion are more likely to succeed if the region tackles three difficult issues that contribute to the current mobility problems:   Land use should support transportation investments   Public funds for transportation should provide incentives to achieve regional goals   Regional governance structures should be reworked to be more responsive to changing transportation needs."

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What is the role of transportation in accessing opportunity?  Transportation regularly comes up as a key factor for accessing employment and other needs such as food, shopping, recreation and community services. Transportation can be an even more significant challenge for people living in economically disconnected areas. The issues are multifaceted and complex. Affordable housing is often located far from employment centers. In some cases, the transit system is not designed to overcome that spatial barrier.  Many communities do not have all the amenities people need for a high quality of life, requiring more effort spent on travel to meet those…

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The COVID-19 crisis is showing us that even with remote technologies that allow some people to work from home, essential workers must be able to get to work at places like hospitals, grocery stores, food service and essential retail. Put simply, transportation for workers matters for us all, but many disadvantaged workers and job seekers face serious transportation challenges. In the Chicago region, 2.8 million people– mostly low-income communities of color – live in economically disconnected areas. This event highlights national research on equity-oriented performance measures and highlight methods that can be applied in our region. Speakers Audrey Wennink, Director…

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Water knows no boundaries. Following the path of least resistance, it flows downhill, often crossing many arbitrary lines: municipal borders, infrastructure rights, planning areas, and modeling extents. While water may not respect these border lines, they nevertheless inform our decisions as water resource managers, elected officials, property owners and citizens—so they matter a great deal. The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), working in concert with CH2M, a global engineering leader with experience in the Chicago region, created this Regional Planning Framework because we believe that the ability to plan and implement stormwater solutions across boundaries is a vital component of the next…

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This report presents findings from a study conducted by HDR Decision Econom­ics, in association with Dr. Alex Anas, for the Metropolitan Planning Council. The main purpose of the study is to analyze and, to the extent possible, quantify the costs resulting from traffic congestion on area roads, including costs in lost time, wasted fuel, and environmental degradation. Although the Urban Mobility Report series prepared at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has already done much to quantify and publicize these costs for Chicago and many other urban areas, it is merely one perspective on this subject. A number of metropolitan planning…

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Illinois' U.S. Senate candidates Alexi Giannoulias (D), Mark Kirk (R), and LeAlan Jones (Green) explained their plans for improving Illinois' economy, infrastructure, communities and environment at the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) 2010 Annual Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago this afternoon. Nearly 1,000 Chicago-area corporate, civic, government and community leaders attended the event. In a non-debate format, Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times Washington bureau chief, interviewed Giannoulias, Kirk and Jones about their plans to support regional planning, improve coordination among federal agencies, achieve positive returns for metropolitan Chicago through the next federal surface transportation bill, and ensure the region has enough…

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Illinois' U.S. Senate candidates Alexi Giannoulias (D), Mark Kirk (R), and LeAlan Jones (Green) explained their plans for improving Illinois' economy, infrastructure, communities and environment at the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) 2010 Annual Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago this afternoon. Nearly 1,000 Chicago-area corporate, civic, government and community leaders attended the event. In a non-debate format, Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times Washington bureau chief, interviewed Giannoulias, Kirk and Jones about their plans to support regional planning, improve coordination among federal agencies, achieve positive returns for metropolitan Chicago through the next federal surface transportation bill, and ensure the region has enough…

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Illinois’ U.S. Senate candidates Alexi Giannoulias (D), Mark Kirk (R), and LeAlan Jones (Green) explained their plans for improving Illinois’ economy, infrastructure, communities and environment at the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) 2010 Annual Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago this afternoon. Nearly 1,000 Chicago-area corporate, civic, government and community leaders attended the event.

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Illinois' U.S. Senate candidates Alexi Giannoulias (D), Mark Kirk (R), and LeAlan Jones (Green) explained their plans for improving Illinois' economy, infrastructure, communities and environment at the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) 2010 Annual Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago this afternoon. Nearly 1,000 Chicago-area corporate, civic, government and community leaders attended the event. In a non-debate format, Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times Washington bureau chief, interviewed Giannoulias, Kirk and Jones about their plans to support regional planning, improve coordination among federal agencies, achieve positive returns for metropolitan Chicago through the next federal surface transportation bill, and ensure the region has enough…

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At Metropolitan Planning Council's (MPC) 2016 Annual Luncheon on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, this video served to set up a conversation about the role of foundations in improving equity of opportunity for everyone in Chicagoland.

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The 2023 Annual Report celebrates the strides we've made toward a more equitable and just Chicago region. We remain committed to shaping a Chicago region that values every community and where everyone can affordably live, work, and thrive.

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This summer's drought is no fluke. The Chicago region's precipitation patterns are trending toward longer periods without rain punctuated by sudden bursts of rapid, intense rainfall that overload local and regional sewer systems -- causing basement back-ups basements and untreated discharges to waterways. Solutions exist, but they are costly and require coordination between multiple units of government and private property owners.Fortunately, the Chicago region doesn't face these challenges alone. Other midwestern metropolitan areas with comparable climate, infrastructure and water management governance structures are grappling with the same issues: How do we priortize investment in gray vs. green infrastructure? How do…

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Vacant, abandoned and blighted properties impede Cook County's economic development, weaken the tax base, and impose significant costs to local governments. A countywide land bank is needed to return large swaths of land to productive use and stabilize local communities across Cook County. With approximately 10 percent of housing units in Cook County standing vacant and foreclosure activity up 28 percent in the first half of 2012, Cook County Commissioners and President Toni Preckwinkle authorized the creation of a Land Bank Advisory Committee (LBAC). The LBAC, chaired by MPC's MarySue Barrett, consisted of civic, financial, legal, and community development professionals…

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The Metropolitan Planning Council's Issue Brief on Restrictive Covenants/Deed Restrictions.

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MPC has released its 2023 Mayoral Briefing Book, a wide-ranging outline of priorities that includes specific action items for the next administration. Outlined priorities relate to the urban built environment and include public transit and transportation, stormwater management, safe drinking water, and inclusive, community-based planning.

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Issue Chicago’s current zoning ordinance requires that all owners of properties within 250 feet of each lot line of a property applying for an amendment, and within 100 feet for variations must receive notification delivered in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested. MPC has three concerns about the current code. First, this method does not include renters. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 56.2 percent of Chicago residents are renters, so notification is missing a large and important group of community members. Second, if notification is delivered via certified mail or return receipt, the owner must sign the…

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Offering similar benefits to rail, but at a fraction of the cost, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will make the most of Chicago's existing street infrastructure to better connect people to neighborhoods and destinations across the city. This new form of public transportation not only will increase access to jobs, retail and institutions, including schools and hospitals, but also will run more efficiently than a regular bus, saving riders time and money.The City of Chicago has big BRT plans, most significantly the development of a system plan to scope out future priority BRT routes. Already, individual routes are in the works:…

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Even as the economy struggles, our growing regional population is demanding smarter investments to expand and improve transit. Given the scarcity of available public funds, governments are beginning to tap innovative financing tools such as variable parking pricing, public private partnerships, and value capture around bus and rail stations. Because transportation networks and land values are closely linked, public investments in transportation infrastructure can increase the value of land surrounding these investments, benefiting landowners, developers and governments. This roundtable will explore how value capture and other innovative financing tools can generate revenue to finance transportation operations and future expansion, such…

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Imagine a busy Dad who spends his days at the office and his evenings shuttling kids to practices and play dates. Or a businesswoman whose work frequently takes her out of town. Consider the night student, the small business owner, the shift worker: These are just a few of people who have something to contribute to local community decisions, but rarely have the time to attend traditional public meetings. Increasingly, technology is helping to engage new community voices in local planning. Through laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, Americans are "plugged in," even while on the go: An April 2012 Pew…

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Improving transportation infrastructure means more than building roads and bridges. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) use technology to maximize the capacity of existing infrastructure to improve traffic flow, decrease delays, and give riders up-to-the-minute system information for a relatively low cost. The Chicago region has several examples of ITS, such as the Chicago Transit Authority's bus and train trackers and the Illinois Tollway's I-PASS electronic tolling system. Still, there is tremendous room for growth. This roundtable will showcase how cities around the world are proving the real potential of ITS by implementing such technologies as congestion pricing, variable priced parking, and…

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The coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that communities and individuals have not been well served by the current economic system with many unable to afford basic needs, like housing, food and utilities. New creative approaches are needed to help the Chicago region plan for an equitable response and build back better than before this crisis.  Join MPC and AECOM for a discussion about how Chicago can create and maintain middle-income jobs in the city’s industrial corridors through providing the necessary planning infrastructure and policy ecosystem needed to bolster employees and neighborhoods. Two key questions the panel will explore is…

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Infill development is a strategic way to grow and strengthen our region, by giving new life to land within existing cities and suburbs. By creating new residential and job opportunities in places that already have quality transportation options, infrastructure and amenities, we can mitigate traffic congestion, municipal costs and air pollution, all while improving people’s lives: Indeed, new research by Smart Growth America and the University of Utah shows how residents of more compact regions have lower household costs, live healthier, longer lives and more easily build wealth and social capital.So why are metropolitan regions increasingly growing outward? Between 2000…

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Frustrated by your commute? You're not alone. From Chicago to Springfield, and from Belleville to Bourbonnais, Illinoisans in big and small towns alike are fed up with the state of our roads, bridges, transit lines, sidewalks and bike paths. A recent MPC survey found that most people experience transportation frustrations on a daily basis—no surprise considering that our state is grappling with a huge infrastructure backlog and diminishing funding to improve it. Join MPC on Friday, March 20, to learn about Accelerate Illinois, the campaign for a sustainable solution to fix what ails Illinois’ transportation system.MPC’s roundtable will feature Kirk…

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Against a backdrop of global population growth and urbanization, the recent National Climate Assessment made clear that extreme weather events—heat waves, drought, tropical storms, high winds, storm surges and heavy downpours—are becoming more severe and substantially affecting the safety, health and economy of entire communities. Events like Hurricane Sandy and northeastern Illinois' own flooding in 2011 and 2013 have made it clear that we remain vulnerable in spite of advances in disaster preparedness.This MPC roundtable will offer insight into the two biggest resiliency planning efforts to date—post-Katrina New Orleans and post-Sandy New York and New Jersey—featuring the thought leaders behind…

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Audio-only recording of May 7, 2013 MPC Roundtable—Immeasurable Loss: Modernizing Lake Michigan Water Use. A video recording is also available.

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Our nation’s water service infrastructure is crumbling and in need of reinvestment, to the tune of $1 trillion to repair and upgrade drinking water infrastructure and some $300 billion to improve sewage collection and treatment facilities. While these numbers are hard to wrap our heads around, what’s encouraging is that most Americans—more than 80 percent—believe it is extremely important to invest in strategies to secure our water supplies for today and the future. So how do we get there? Join us for a roundtable featuring water industry leaders discussing a range of local, state and federal efforts toward workable funding…

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Full recording (with corrected audio) of MPC's Dec. 6, 2013 roundtable, Making the Case for Commute Options.Did you know that of the 10 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, the Chicago region is the only one without a coordinated Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategy? Meanwhile, more people are driving alone to work and fewer are taking transit, and congestion costs our region $7.3 billion a year. Yikes!In 2011, MPC began a Commute Options pilot, working with local employers to survey their employees about commuting patterns and design programs that provide alternatives to driving alone. MPC recruited 16 Chicago-area employers…

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If this winter has taught us anything, it's the value of being prepared—not just for the expected, like snow, but also for unforeseen climate conditions like the polar vortex. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events is creating a complex knot of pressures for governments, businesses and communities. Northeastern Illinois’ resiliency—our ability to provide critical public services such as transportation, communications, water and flood management—is being tested. This MPC Roundtable will highlight leading governance and technology practices that can help our region and others achieve greater infrastructure resilience and ensure that our businesses stay up and running during critical moments.…

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Slides from the May 15, 2013 MPC Roundtable on resilient infrastructure.

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One is an academic institution in the heart of the city of Chicago; the other is a manufacturing company located 40 miles northwest in suburban Carpentersville, Ill., population 38,062. Though it may seem unlikely, University of Chicago and OTTO Engineering have some things in common: Both of these large employers are anchoring community redevelopment by investing in their local housing markets.At this MPC Roundtable, University of Chicago's Derek Douglas, vice president, civic engagement; and OTTO Engineering President Tom Roeser will compare and contrast how their unique housing reinvestment strategies support the local economy. UofC has offered an employer-assisted housing program…

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While regulatory requirements and infrastructure systems often adhere to political and departmental borders, precipitation does not. The results are often fragmented decision-making and chronic stormwater issues like flooding and compromised water quality. And yet, the tools exist to collaborate effectively across borders on these vexing problems; where there's a collective will, there's a way. Solving our stormwater problems is a matter of scale, but also having unifying goals, a shared action agenda, and the right decision-making processes. Join us to explore what the Chicago region can learn from successful collaborative stormwater mitigation efforts elsewhere in the country.Confirmed speakers:Susan Harper, Public…

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After every election and inauguration, those of us concerned with regional planning ask, “What’s our game plan and where do we go from here?” Over two months after Donald Trump was elected president, we are still making sense of what is possible moving forward and the opportunities we have to ensure our region thrives.Join MPC and housing, transit and climate policy experts who will share their insights on what’s happening at the federal level and the impact it may—or may not—have on Illinois and Chicagoland.We will explore how Trump’s campaign promises may translate to public policy and the likely impacts…

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These days, squeezing extra dollars out of state and federal budgets is nearly impossible. That’s why transportation agencies are moving toward new, data-driven planning approaches to ensure the dollars they invest reap the maximum benefit. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has recently taken a leap forward by developing one of the most advanced tools in the nation to evaluate roadway projects based on a set of criteria that ensure projects will achieve maximum return on investment. Join MPC to hear experts discuss performance-based planning in transportation and IDOT’s new tool for prioritizing investments. We'll explore the context for developing…

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Chicago’s first National Monument. A bright new Metra station. Local and national business expansion. Increasing incomes and education levels. And winner of MPC’s 2016 Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning. Simply put, the Pullman community has a lot going for it.And yet, many questions remain. Now that there is a federal presence in Pullman, what does it mean for fulfilling the promise of the National Monument—particularly in light of the new administration? How will economic forces, shifts in industrial land use, and housing market pressures elsewhere in Chicago affect the community? And how do we ensure that all of Pullman…

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Illinois is at an inflection point: As the state continues to lose population—in particular Black and Brown residents—while weathering ongoing and pandemic-related fiscal instability, positive signals during the early-January “lame duck” session of the Illinois General Assembly indicated that state lawmakers are ready to roll up their sleeves in Springfield this spring. The election of Ill. Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch as the first Black Speaker of the House, and sweeping criminal justice reforms passed during the lame duck represent new opportunities for the independent Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) to work with all parties and both Chambers.   In areas ranging from…

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MPC urges Commissioners to adopt the We Will Chicago framework plan, which is the first citywide plan the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has undertaken since the 1960s. For too long, Chicago has lacked a unifying vision of what we want this city to be, and the values we want to drive public deicisions. We Will Chicago captures this vision through its guiding principles, themes, goals, and objectives. MPC has been a partner, advisor, and participant in We Will Chicago on various aspects of the planning process. We co-developed the pre-planning workshops that helped shape the themes and structure…

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There is a 30-year gap in life expectancy between America’s wealthiest and poorest neighborhoods. This trend holds true in Chicago, where life expectancy varies by neighborhood, income, and race.In his 2017 book, The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills, Chicago-based physician David Ansell exposes the structural roots of the life expectancy gap: racial and economic discrimination. Ansell makes the case for why inequality should be considered a societal illness, and provides action steps to move toward health equity.Sponsored by: Presence Health and Revolution Brewing (beverages)

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MPC Year in Review for 2013 Annual Luncheon: Accelerating Change.

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Through careful planning and innovative strategies that make the most of limited financial resources, we can respond to pressing issues facing families, businesses and communities – and pave the way toward long-term sustainable growth in metropolitan Chicago. Guided by a powerful combination of common sense and best practices with a high return on investment, and in partnership with new leaders in Washington D.C. and Springfield, Chicagoland can move to the head of the class.

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MPC provides assistance to organizations and communities around the country to build strong employer-assisted housing initiatives and leverage business engagement in housing solutions.

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Summary The City of Chicago maintains multiple financial instruments for leveraging investment across the city to benefit communities. Passed in May 2016, the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) ordinance is an innovative tool to leverage investment from high-density areas for commercial corridor and small business improvements in disinvested communities on the South and West sides. In its first 18 months, the fund received $47.8 million and secured commitments totaling $203 million. After two rounds, approximately $12M in grants have been awarded to 90  small businesses on the South and West sides. The Emanuel administration appropriated $12M for Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus programs…

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[insert date] Dear Legislator: I’ve heard alarming things about education in Illinois and I’m worried. Eighty percent of school districts are now deficit spending. Districts throughout the state are laying off teachers. More than 400,000 public school students do not meet Illinois Learning Standards. Not all districts have the resources to provide an adequate education. Illinois relies too heavily on local districts to fund schools — we’re 48th out of the 50 states, in fact, in the amount the state contributes to education. That leaves property taxes as the revenue source to fund local schools. According to the Education Funding…

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[insert date] Dear Editor: Articles appear almost daily about growing problems with our schools in Illinois — from school district deficits that are leading to teacher layoffs, to students not meeting grade level standards. One of the reasons Illinois has an education crisis is because the state’s support for school funding is inadequate, leaving local districts to rely on property taxes. Is this the message we want to send to our children — that the quality of their education depends on where they live? Network 21: Quality Schools for Stronger Communities, a coalition of education, labor, civic and business organizations…

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Focusing on how to improve transportation design.

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Click here for a PDF version of North Lawndale: A Survey of Existing Conditions.

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On Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) presented our proposal for reimagining the Old Cook County Hospital campus, along I-290, at the Ill. Medical District Blue Line stop. Cook County was looking to preserve the historic building's ornate facade. MPC's proposal celebrates and captures the beauty of the original hospital while also creating an Epicenter for the Ill. Medical District and the City of Chicago. The proposal would reflect the urbanity and vitality of the city where medical students, researchers, workers, and residents gather to innovate, interact, reside, work, live and heal. Review MPC's proposal >>

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We all have spots like this in our neighborhood: It's a spot that's been through a lot (no pun intended). It's down on its luck. Doesn't have many friends. Plastic bags, overgrown lawn, dirt patches ... or maybe it's a frumpy strip of retail without much allure. Either way, it could use a little love.Well, Chicagoland, now is your chance to do something about it! The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is challenging Chicago-area individuals and community groups to teach an Old Place New Tricks by activating a public space for one day this summer.Visit www.oldplacenewtricks.com

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In the face of scarce economic resources and a state fiscal crisis, the wise use of public funds is more important than ever.  From operating funds to capital expenses, public officials face increased scrutiny with respect to how they spend taxpayer dollars.  Planning is the cornerstone of efficient government, whether local, state or national.  By identifying the needs of Illinois' communities in advance, planning public investments that support growth and guiding private investment, resources are preserved to achieve the economic competitiveness and quality of life we want. Just as an individual plans for retirement, or a business plans a new…

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September 18, 2024 MPC Vice President Kendra J. Freeman wrote a letter to the Chicago City Council in support of the amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 16-18 to adjust OSIF costs and schedules, saying in part, "We believe this amendment will strengthen and preserve park funding resources and help Chicago accommodate growth."

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Highlights  progress in achieving the 2020 goals outlined as part of the Our Great Rivers vision.

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Our Great Rivers is a vision for creating a more inviting, productive, and living river system in the city of Chicago, released in 2016 by the City of Chicago, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), Friends of the Chicago River, and many other partners. More than 6,000 residents provided input to help develop this collective vision. Our Great Rivers defines 26 goals with accompanying action steps for stakeholders to work on collaboratively to improve the Des Plaines, Chicago, and Calumet rivers. Great Rivers Chicago is an initiative to ensure that the Our Great Rivers vision is advanced and stories of progress,…

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Water affordability challenges and their solutions vary at the local level: a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist. Identification of opportunities to ease the burden on ratepayers may require analyses that extend beyond a standard cost-of-service study and rate design, though the efforts are complimentary. This report builds on findings from initial analysis of water affordability challenges in northeastern Illinois and lessons from pilot projects with Chicago, Evanston, and others. The audience for this report is technical assistance providers, and the goal is to inform successful program design. For more information, visit: metroplanning.org/wateraffordability.

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No place, city, or policy starts from scratch. Rather, the plans, resources, and opportunities for (sub)urban development are driven by legacies of the distant past. These lasting legacies, often holding effect for years or decades, inevitably influence what’s possible in the present day. For more than 85 years, MPC has worked to transform the inherited legacies related to the region’s history of inequitable power structures and disinvestment.   As MPC prepares for a new year with new challenges and opportunities, join us for a reflection hour on the inherited legacies of past and present, and the impact we hope to pass on to…

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The Chicago region is facing a water supply crisis. Can we collaborate and get ahead of the problem? Look forward to Metropolitan Planning Council's Regional Water Supply Action Agenda in late summer 2016. https://metroplanning.org/water

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Chief Co-Sponsors: Ill. Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) Streets that are safe for pedestrians have benefits that ripple through neighborhoods and urban areas. Current Illinois legislation requires cars to yield, but not stop, for pedestrians in crosswalks, contributing to thousands of deaths and injuries. This law will clarify responsibilities for both drivers and pedestrians.  

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What does it take to develop a municipal bicycle or pedestrian plan? Why should your community develop one?  This virtual panel features leaders from across our region that have successfully planned, adopted, and implemented bike/ped plans. As part of the Taking Climate Action by Prioritizing Walking, Biking, and Transit event series, this panel delves into the intersections of regional climate action, local urban planning, mobility, and the built environment that we engage with everyday. Tune in on April 28 at Noon to learn more from Active Transportation Alliance about how to develop a community bike/ped plan and to hear about the experiences and best practices from local leaders…

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MPC Vice President Peter Skosey, speaking at the CDOT press release for Chicago's first ever comprehensive pedestrian plan, makes the connection between pedestrians, cyclists, and economic growth. Sept. 6, 2012.

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Illinois PIRG released a new report today, Connecting the Midwest, that puts clear numbers and a clear vision on how high-speed rail will boost the Midwest economy, reduce highway and airport congestion, reduce dependence on oil, and protect the environment. The report, including a summary of key findings, is available on PIRG's web site: http://www.illinoispirg.org/news-releases/transit/transit-news/high-speed-rail-part-of-the-solution This video of Brian Imus, director, Illinois PIRG, was taken at the PIRG news conference, Monday, Sept. 20, 2010, at Union Station in Chicago.

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Illinois PIRG released a new report today, Connecting the Midwest, that puts clear numbers and a clear vision on how high-speed rail will boost the Midwest economy, reduce highway and airport congestion, reduce dependence on oil, and protect the environment. The report, including a summary of key findings, is available on PIRG's web site: http://www.illinoispirg.org/news-releases/transit/transit-news/high-speed-rail-part-of-the-solution This video of Warren Ribley, director, Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, was taken at the PIRG news conference, Monday, Sept. 20, 2010, at Union Station in Chicago.

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Illinois PIRG released a new report today, Connecting the Midwest, that puts clear numbers and a clear vision on how high-speed rail will boost the Midwest economy, reduce highway and airport congestion, reduce dependence on oil, and protect the environment. The report, including a summary of key findings, is available on PIRG's web site. At the news conference to announce the report, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) Vice President Peter Skosey reinforced PIRG's message, citing a recent MPC analysis of the tourism benefits expected to be generated by the $1.2 billion investment to improve the current Chicago-to-St. Louis rail corridor. Projections show that over the next 10 years, about…

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In 2009, MPC teamed up with WPB (the Special Service Area for Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods) to transform the Polish Triangle, located at the intersection of Division Street, Ashland Avenue, and Milwaukee Avenue, into a well-used public space. Through an online network group, online survey, and open house, more than 700 people contributed their ideas for transforming the space. This report summarizes this input and identifies ways to implement some of the changes recommended by residents.

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A short video on Placemaking, produced in August 2008 by Metropolitan Planning Council and Tu Multimedia.

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Placemaking is a people-centered approach to planning public spaces.  MPC's Placemaking Chicago project supports the creation and care of quality public places in the region through policy advocacy, collaboration with public agencies and officials, technical assistance on planning projects, and online resources.

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Chicago Tonight's Geoffrey Baer reveals the 2009 "What Makes Your Place Great?" contest winners.

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Each year, MPC presents its 12-month plan for developing, advocating for, and implementing policies that advance our mission: Since 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has been dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, MPC serves communities and residents by developing, promoting and implementing solutions for sound regional growth. MPC builds consensus around its agenda by partnering with civic organizations, community groups, business leaders, and government agencies throughout the research, advocacy and implementation stages of policy development. For 76 years, this cooperative approach has proven fundamental to making lasting change…

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MPC's Plan for Prosperity 2011 is our policy objectives guide for the year. Focusing on creating a more sustainable, equitable, and competitive region, this guide details MPC's recommendations on how to make our communities more livable for all of metropolitan Chicago's residents.

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This update covers the development status of renovated family properties, scattered sites, and new mixed-income communities.

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Updates on the status of community building efforts and resident engagement strategies in mixed-income communities.

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This workbook is designed as a step-by-step guide for Illinois municipal officials to prepare a local comprehensive plan for their communities. The term “comprehensive plan” means the vision of what the community wants to become and the steps needed to meet that goal. It is a statement by a local government that sets forth – in text, maps, illustrations and tables—the goals, policies and guidelines intended to direct the present and future physical, social and economic development that occurs within the jurisdiction. The workbook includes examples of plans and planning policies from Illinois communities, as well as checklists to help…

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Summary The city should deepen its support for the riverfront planning vision outlined in Our Great Rivers. Chicago is fortunate to have three very different rivers—the Des Plaines, Calumet and the Chicago. All three rivers are located within City of Chicago boundaries and, if treated as an asset, have the potential bring a range of benefits, from recreational to economic to ecological, to Chicagoans. The rivers run through 20 of Chicago’s 50 wards, and more than 394,000 people (15 percent of the city’s population) live within half a mile of one of the rivers. The Our Great Rivers vision, co-created…

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Full details: https://metroplanning.org/events/roundtable/detail/305Every day between now and the year 2030, 10,000 American Baby Boomers will turn 65. By then, one in five people will be at least 65 years old. Two thirds of this elderly population will live alone by the age of 85, and most will be female, disabled and, according to a report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, unprepared for the challenges of aging. How can communities adapt to ensure that this cohort can age gracefully? The solution is a comprehensive approach that encompasses transportation, housing, healthcare and public education.At a local level, MPC has…

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Have you been wondering how we keep racial equity at the forefront as we make our way through COVID-19 and beyond? This interactive session will use recent headlines and scenarios to draw out racial equity principles, generate concrete ideas of how to use these principles, and invite participants to embed them into their own practice. This session is invite-only and will be capped at 30 participants. Tuyet M. Le is an independent consultant for nonprofits and government. Previously, Ms. Le served as executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago for over 18 years. Advancing Justice | Chicago is…

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Summary The city should implement the Resilient Chicago plan for inclusive growth and a connected city. Resilient Chicago sets forth a framework for building urban resilience that addresses the chronic stresses—such as racial inequity—and acute shocks—like heat waves and severe flooding—facing the City of Chicago. It lists 50 actions focusing on building stronger, equitable neighborhoods, robust infrastructure and prepared communities. City departments and agencies are leading many actions, and will be a critical partner in multiple other actions led by civic organizations and community stakeholders. Executive Order Resilient Chicago was released on February 14, 2019 as an outgrowth of Chicago’s…

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Check out this booklet, a blueprint of strategies for community action against displacement, developed over many months in collaboration with stakeholders. For more information, visit metroplanning.org/GarfieldPark

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The governments within the greater Marengo-Union area have established a partnership to develop and implement a plan for collaboratively managing natural resources and growth. These entities value the quality of life that is derived from high quality natural resources, well-planned development, and the preservation of the historical character of the landscape.

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The Chicago neighborhood known as “Andersonville” was planted with apple orchards in the 1850s. Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Swedes moved into the area as the log cabins they favored were outlawed within city limits. New residents opened up storefronts to provide goods and services, and the area stayed heavily Swedish for decades, until many began to move to the suburbs after World War II.

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Through the Drinking Water 1-2-3 Technical Assistance program, MPC coordinated expert assistance to help communities tackle their most pressing water challenges. In the Village of Robbins, MPC worked with Village staff as well as contract engineers and consultants to identify the top priorities for Robbins’ water supply infrastructure. This itemized list provides clarity for prioritizing investments and opportunities to achieve economies of scale. The report also prepares the Village’s Board of Trustees and Public Works staff to apply for grants, loans, or other funding sources. For more information, visit metroplanning.org/academy.  

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As COVID-19 stretches government budgets, mistrust in police, unemployment, and illness frame a daily reality for many Chicagoans. So how can our public expenditures match our collective priorities? This session highlights the work of three efforts to seek public feedback about the City budget, the People’s Budget Project, Participatory Budgeting in Rogers Park, and the Budget Ambassador’s engagement effort by the Mayor's office. Let's talk about how participatory budgeting can inform Chicago's investments in safe and thriving communities. Click here to download a copy of the presentation.  Panelists:  Ivan Arenas, Associate Director, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy –…

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How do we decide what types of transportation investments to make, and where to make them?  More and more, decision makers are relying on a performance-based planning process, which uses data to track performance measures that are designed to move us toward a set of policy goals, like decreasing greenhouse gas emissions or speeding up travel times. There is a developing practice of using racial equity as one of these measures, which will help improve mobility outcomes for people from marginalized communities. This was a key recommendation in MPC's Our Equitable Future policy roadmap. MPC research assistant and UIUC masters student Agustina Krapp investigated how…

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Follow-up report to the Regional Rental Market Analysis; Review of general literature of what is known nationally and locally about barriers and opportunities to provide rental housing

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Mr. James Beatman, Sr., an attendee of the Dec. 15, 2011 public forum on the Chicago Union Station Master Plan, puts the principles of Placemaking into his own terms.

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Chicago Housing Authority Transformation Plan Fact Sheet No. 2

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The fourth in MPC's series of Fact Sheets examining the Chicago Housing Authority Plan for Transformation.

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The third in MPC's series of Fact Sheets examining the Chicago Housing Authority Transformation Plan.

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The Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for Transportation Act will promote the sound development and operation of transportation facilities in Illinois, by authorizing public-private partnerships for the construction of new transportation infrastructure projects and limited lease of existing infrastructure assets. Authorizing public-private partnerships will allow Illinois to seek new sources of investment capital and more efficiently deliver infrastructure improvements, to improve our transportation system to better serve the needs of Illinois residents and businesses.

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MPC's recommendations in this May 2008 report offered a package of policy and revenue recommendations with one common goal: to improve Chicago’s transportation network to ensure the region’s continued economic growth. Without new and progressive transportation policies and sufficient revenue, Chicagolands' economy will stagnate or slide backward, spurring an exodus of jobs to other regions willing to make policy changes and identify needed revenue.

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What's the role of transportation in accessing opportunity? Transportation regularly comes up as a key factor for accessing employment and other needs such as food, shopping, recreation and community services. Transportation can be an even more significant challenge for people living in economically disconnected areas. The issues are multifaceted and complex. Affordable housing is often located far from employment centers. In some cases, the transit system is not designed to overcome that spatial barrier.  Many communities do not have all the amenities people need for a high quality of life, requiring more effort spent on travel to meet those needs.…

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Summary The only way our region and its residents will reach their full potential is by dismantling the barriers that create disparities and inequities by race and income. It is essential for our growth and our shared prosperity. The government sector has a constitutional obligation—and statutory powers—to end the segregation of people, power and resources, and demand it of others as well. This means a commitment to not only creating new mechanisms to address disparities, but to changing the institutional systems that perpetuate them through ongoing staff training, equity assessments of any proposed initiatives and investments, and public accountability to…

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Summary Stop excessive traffic fines and fees that disproportionately penalize poor and working class people of color. The City of Chicago must stop penalizing low-income drivers through inequitable fees by eliminating the suspension of driver’s licenses for unpaid parking tickets. The city should also assess the current fee structure and adopt an income-based sliding scale fee schedule so low-income people are not crippled by fees they will never be able to pay off. Excessive court fines, traffic tickets and compounding fees that people simply cannot afford to pay regularly lead to lost opportunities, whether through lost jobs or housing, suspension…

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Chief Sponsors: Ill. Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) Currently there are no minimum standards in the State Plumbing Code for capture of rainwater on site and re-use for non-potable purposes. As a result, local health boards have minimal ability to assure their communities that use of this technology is safe.  SB 38 would reverse that, and require the Dept. of Health to establish minimum standards. Being able to utilize stormwater to flush toilets would reduce the need for costly infrastructure investments by reducing stormwater runoff, easing strain on wastewater systems, and lessening the amount of treated drinking water being used for…

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The plan includes a detailed assessment of current watershed conditions, green infrastructure maps for use by local developers and planners, and recommended action strategies. Restoring farmed wetlands, promoting compact design, and establishing a cross-sector water management steering committee are among the project’s recommendations.

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At its core, the Metropolitan Planning Council’s work is to advocate for the critical infrastructure and policy decisions that underpin individual and community health and wellbeing. MPC is shaping a policy response to the novel coronavirus, developing both short-term and long-term recommendations that move the region toward this vision.  These near-term strategies employ the principle of targeted universalism—ultimately, they benefit the whole, but are targeted toward those who need them most urgently. In addition to providing immediate relief, the following recommendations set the City, Region, State and Federal government on the path toward building back a better future that is…

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Water itself knows no political boundaries. Rivers flow from one community to another, aquifers span entire regions, rain falls where it will. Yet water resources management is inherently political. Northeastern Illinois’ 284 municipalities plan and implement many facets of water supply, stormwater, and wastewater management at the local level. Factors such as changes in municipal leadership, water’s rank among local priorities, and municipal finances determine whether water resources are managed well. At the same time, external factors such as compliance with federal, state or county regulations, competitiveness for loans or grants, and the real estate development market can affect local…

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In an effort to prepare our region for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities grant opportunities, in 2022 the Metropolitan Planning Council conducted research documenting the equity and environmental harm that transportation infrastructure has historically caused in our region. We conducted community engagement to identify potential projects to mitigate those harms. We received over 120 community-generated project ideas ranging from highway caps to complete streets to parks. This report compiles a list of the top 22 project ideas to reconnect communities disrupted by transportation infrastructure.

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The Final Recommendations for the Reconnecting Neighborhoods study were prepared through the efforts of the City of Chicago, the Regional Transportation Authority, CTA, Metra, and the project planning consultants, the Metropolitan Planning Council, HNTB Corporation and MKC Associates. Many citizens, staff, advisory task force members and officials of the City of Chicago participated in the planning process. Their involvement and insights are sincerely appreciated.

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For too many, 2020 has been a year of disappointments, obstacles, and challenges. In spite of the obstacles, the Metropolitan Planning Council has seen some bright spots and victories that have changed perceptions and advanced policies. Join us for this hour-long discussion in which we will reflect on the determined effort it took to achieve our 2020 milestones and share highlights of our achievements. This conversation will be moderated by MarySue Barrett, President of Metropolitan Planning Council. Speakers: Dan Cooper, Director of Research, MPC Chloe Gurin-Sands, Manager of Health Equity and Planning, MPC Debbie Liu, Community Engagement Associate, MPC Ryan…

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This is the third of a series of Reform '97 Issue Briefs. Here, two perspectives are provided to state legislators as they reconvene for the Fall Veto session.

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This is the first of three 1997 Issue Briefs by the Metropolitan Planning Council on issues of education quality, school funding and tax reforms for Illinois. Provides an overview of disparities in funding schools in our region and state.

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This is the second of three Reform '97 fact sheets.

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Three suggestions for reforming the Illinois Tax Increment Allocation Act

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The regional housing initiative is a new tool to make it easier to operate, develop, or rehabilitate mixed income, multi-family rental housing throughout the Chicago metropolitan region, particularly in areas of high job growth.

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https://metroplanning.org/rhiFor decades, our region has grappled with concentrated poverty and a lack of housing choices for low-income families. To address this, MPC, Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and eight regional housing authorities created a collaborative called the Regional Housing Initiative (RHI) to support affordable and mixed-income housing developments in communities near transit, jobs centers, quality schools and amenities.Since 2002, RHI has created more than 400 apartments in 28 strong communities around the region. Since 2011, a combined regional waiting list, voucher portability and mobility counseling have ensured that voucher holders are "moving up" into these opportunity-rich communities. Now, the U.S.…

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What is the Regional Housing Initiative (RHI)? RHI is a program designed to encourage the development, rehabilitation and preservation of quality affordable rental housing throughout the Chicago metropolitan region. The Initiative is a partnership of seven housing authorities (Cook County, Waukegan, Lake County, Joliet, McHenry County, Oak Park, and Chicago), the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Metropolitan Planning Council. The public housing authorities (PHA’s) have agreed to make project-based subsidies (RHI vouchers) available for up to 355 rental housing units in developments throughout the metropolitan region. What is the purpose of the Regional Housing Initiative? RHI is designed to…

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MPC served as project manager for the Regional Rental Market Analysis in 1999. The University of Illinois Chicago was the lead researcher, and the Urban Institute and Applied Real Estate Analysis particapated on the research team. This summary report of MPC's Regional Rental Market Analysis, describes a tight rental market with significant annual rent increases.  This unprecedented analysis, which measured 1999 rent and vacancy rates within each of the six metropolitan counties and provided forecast levels through 2004 and 2009, placed the overall vacancy rate in the region at an extremely low 4.2%. Surprise findings from the Regional Rental Market…

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Full details here: https://metroplanning.org/events/roundtable/detail/301Last year, Chicago Public Schools closed more than 50 schools across the city. Now vacant, these behemoth buildings join countless factories and warehouses that have sat empty for decades. We know that vacant properties pose significant challenges to communities; they attract crime, depreciate local property values, burden local fire, police and building departments, are difficult to acquire, finance and rehabilitate and undermine quality of life for nearby residents. What we hear less often, though, are the stories of how they can also serve as a canvas for meeting new needs in communities. How do we transform these…

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Each year, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) presents Plan for Prosperity, its 12-month agenda for promoting policies and development that make the Chicago region more equitable, sustainable and prosperous. Reinventing the Region, MPC’s policy agenda for 2014, focuses on these four ingredients of a successful region: Strong economy Quality housing and transportation Well-managed natural assets Vibrant neighborhoods

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For generations Archer Avenue provided a primary route from the Loop to Chicago’s southwest side and beyond. The stretch of Archer Avenue between Canal Street and Ashland Avenue, in the Bridgeport neighborhood, enjoyed a retail and commercial heyday and served as a gathering place for the neighborhood. That changed drastically with the construction of the Stevenson in 1964, which severed the northern section of the neighborhood along the Chicago River, displacing many businesses and homes, and creating a physical and psychological barrier that still predominates. The affects of the Stevenson and years of economic disinvestment along Archer eventually destroyed the neighborhood’s pedestrian-friendly environment. Today, the…

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Executive Summary For over 30 years, Illinois leaders have debated how to properly fund education to ensure a quality education for all children no matter where they live. Through economic boom and bust, school districts with inadequate resources have been unable to provide the level of education that more prosperous districts provide. Areas with high property tax rates have struggled to attract investment from businesses and homeowners. During this time, some schools have fallen chronically short of state learning standards, often the very same ones without local tax base to support their schools. The state's fiscal position also has deteriorated,…

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For over 30 years, Illinois leaders have debated how to properly fund education to ensure a quality education for all children no matter where they live. Through economic boom and bust, school districts with inadequate resources have been unable to provide the level of education that more prosperous districts provide.  Areas with high property tax rates have struggled to attract investment from businesses and homeowners. During this time, some schools have fallen chronically short of state learning standards, often the very same ones without local tax base to support their schools. The state’s fiscal position also has deteriorated, especially in…

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Resource guide from workshop entitled Doing Business with Cook County's Land Banks hosted by the Metropolitan Planning Council on July 24, 2014. This guide provides information on how to revisit topics discussed in the workshop including land bank policies, prequalification, researching properties and financial resources to support your land bank transactions.

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Retail 1-2-3 is the third in a series of workbooks for municipal and elected officials in Illinois and builds on the earlier successes of Planning 1-2-3, a how-to guide to the elements of comprehensive planning published in September 2006 and Sensible Tools for Healthy Communities, a workbook from 2004 on development review. The hallmark of the series is its attention to Illinois issues through in-depth descriptions and detailed case studies of Illinois communities and legislation. With the help of technical advisory committees of local and national experts from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the series coalesces into a valuable…

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The Peterson-Pulaski Industrial Corridor, a 47-year-old business and employment zone on the northwest side of Chicago, is home to 22 small to midsized companies that collectively employ approximately 1,900 people. The irregularly shaped parcel runs from Bryn Mawr Avenue on the south to Devon Avenue on the north, and from Kostner Avenue on the west to Pulaski Road on the east, generally paralleling the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way. Virtually the entire area is currently zoned for manufacturing.

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Like most major metropolitan regions, Chicago’s public transit system is split between multiple providers: CTA, Metra, and Pace. And like most transit providers throughout the county, Chicagoland’s agencies are seeing sharp ridership declines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although riders are beginning to return, there’s still a lot of ground to make up. Let’s clarify: this doesn’t mean transit has become any less vital. In fact, the last few years have highlighted the pivotal role transit must play for the region to achieve its climate and equity goals. So how can we both strengthen ridership and improve mobility equity?    This event’s moderated panel will look at fare integration: a…

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Recent Miami transplant Jeremy Davit has turned to a new type of commute to save time, and get some exercise. https://metroplanning.org/news-events/blog-post/6579

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River Edge Ideas Lab: Adjaye Associates

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Architects discuss the unparalleled opportunity the Chicago River offers to residents throughout Chicago.

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Why River Edge Ideas Lab? Mayor Emanuel and others discuss why now is the moment to create a shared vision for the future of public space along Chicago's river edges.

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River Edge Ideas Lab: James Corner Field Operations

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River Edge Ideas Lab: Perkins + Will

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River Edge Ideas Lab: Ross Barney Architects

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River Edge Ideas Lab: Sasaki

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River Edge Ideas Lab: site

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River Edge Ideas Lab: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

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River Edge Ideas Lab: Studio Gang

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River Edge Ideas Lab: SWA

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Looking to strengthen Riverdale’s stock of affordable housing within a broad and ambitious redevelopment plan that includes TIF districts and industrial redevelopment, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Chicago and Campaign for Sensible Growth will convene a two-day technical assistance panel (TAP) on Aug. 20 and 21, 2003 at the Riverdale Village Hall.

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The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has long emphasized the importance of supporting quality development near transit. As part of that support, MPC engages communities in shaping their local vision through our Corridor Development Initiative (CDI).  This report details the results of that community engagement process and points the way toward securing equitable development in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, the result of a series of virtual and in-person community meetings to plan the future of greenspace at Howard and Ashland, near the Howard CTA station. The meetings were a partnership of the Metropolitan Planning Council, the 49th Ward Alderwoman Maria Hadden, A Just…

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This kick-off meeting provided an overview of the site at Howard and Ashland and gave participants the opportunity to discuss (re)development opportunities and challenges and voice their thoughts on community needs.

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A message from Alderwoman Maria Hadden of Chicago's 49th Ward. 

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An 11 part appendix detailing issues related to the Rolling Meadows Task Force.

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In recent years, the City of Rolling Meadows has intensified efforts to strengthen its financial base and become one of the region’s economic leaders. The City has also made it a goal to ensure that the local workforce and other residents in need of affordably priced homes continue to have options within the city. Rolling Meadows recognizes that economic growth and workforce housing go hand-in-hand, which many existing and prospective Rolling Meadows companies have corroborated. City officials are committed to ensuring that at least 20 percent of Rolling Meadow’s housing stock is and remains affordable and, in 2005, engaged the…

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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Key Findings from the Regional Rental Market Analysis

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The Gary and Region Investment Project (GRIP) -- a regional initiative to reinvest in Northwest Indiana's urban core, led by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC, www.metroplanning.org) and The Times Media Company (www.nwitimes.com) -- launched Oct. 27, 2010, with the "GRIP the Future" event, at the Genesis Center, in Gary, Ind. The event was both a resounding call to action and the first step in identifying a few key investments that the region can work together on to stabilize and transform its economy.To that end, GRIP the Future brought together nearly 200 people who have a stake in reviving Northwest Indiana's…

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Livable, attractive communities are created as a result of hundreds, even thousands, of development decisions. How can local elected and appointed officials increase the odds that they make the right decisions? This Workbook was created to meet that need. Sensible Tools for Healthy Communities uses U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 10 Principles of Smart Growth as the framework for development review. The step-by-step guidebook is written for municipal officials — planning commissioners, zoning boards, and city councils. The Sensible Tools format and process — aided by the expertise of a broad-based technical advisory team — provides the template for future guidebooks and…

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The practice of shared services across municipal boundaries continues to gain traction as munic­ipalities grapple with rising costs. Drinking water service is one such option municipalities can explore. This report outlines various water governance options available in Illinois for shared drinking water service between municipalities.

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A panel discussion on active transportation funding. Watch it here.

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Summary The city should create new green infrastructure and invest in existing infrastructure to address urban flooding. Many communities in Chicago, especially those on the South and West Sides, flood repeatedly. A single severe rainstorm in 2013 caused 2,500 “water in basement” and 800 “water on street” complaints, damages to businesses, and flooding at train stations and bus stops across the city. Flooding disproportionately affects minority and low-income neighborhoods: many of the zip codes with the highest amount of damages correspond with census tracts identified as economically disconnected. Additionally, the city’s drinking water source Lake Michigan is increasingly at risk…

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Video courtesy of Syndicat des Eaux d'ile-de-France (SEDIF). The original version in French can be viewed here: http://www.sedif.com/solidarite-eau.aspx

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The South Branch Parks Framework Plan, authored by the South Branch Park Advisory Council and SmithGroup in partnership with the Metropolitan Planning Council, Active Transportation Alliance, Friends of the Chicago River, and Cannon Design.

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The South Branch River Trail Priorities Report, authored by the Metropolitan Planning Council, the Active Transportation Alliance, Friends of the Chicago River, and Cannon Design,  in partnership with the South Branch Park Advisory Council and SmithGroup.

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Submitted by Peggy B. South Cook Street is Barrington's center of activity for shopping, dining, events and entertainment, making it home to the "Best Summer Ever". The South Cook Street corridor provides a small town feel with a mix of historic buildings and attractive, integrated new developments. The South Cook Street area offers a snapshot of the history of a village that began in 1865. Take a walking tour of these old buildings and the "history"of Barrington comes to life. The beauty of tree lined streets, benches, lampposts and hanging baskets provide the added charm that says you have arrived…

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Have you temporarily transformed a vacant space into a community asset in the Chicago/Gary/Milwaukee metro region? Enter to win cash in Placemaking Chicago's Space in Between contest by Aug. 31! www.placemakingchicago.comWritten and directed by Ariel RanieriCamera by Ryan Griffin-SteginkGuitar written and performed by Ethan SellersThank you to all the neighborhood residents who appeared in the video!The Space in Between contest is generously sponsored by Michaels Development Company.

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