Zoning & Land Use Assessment Research Findings

Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and the Urban Institute are working in partnership with local stakeholders to assess the impacts of zoning and land use on public health, equity, and sustainability, and to develop recommendations for better planning and development practices. The key guiding questions for this project are:

• What are the public health, equity, and environmental impacts produced by Chicago’s zoning and related land use practices?
• How do outcomes differ by neighborhood?
• What changes could be implemented to improve sustainability, racial, and health equity? 

To answer these guiding questions, stakeholders from the project’s Steering Committee used definitions for equity, sustainability, and public health to develop a list of built environment outcomes that they would like to see in Chicago. These outcomes were prioritized into seven key topics, and they form the basis of the research. Here is the list of outcomes we are analyzing: 

We took a three-part approach to the research.

First, we focused on understanding the outcome we were reviewing. Second, we focused on understanding how zoning intersected with the outcome. Third, we focused on connecting the outcome with the zoning to understand the relationship between the two. To review zoning, maps and data sets were compiled to compare changes across three distinct points in time: 2003, 2013, and 2023. 

The specific research questions and preliminary research findings for the first three outcomes we analyzed, Limited Pollution Exposure, Affordable Housing, and Strong Business Corridors, follow below. Additional research findings will be added in the future as research for the remaining outcomes is completed.

Limited Pollution Exposure

All neighborhoods feature low levels of pollution, taking into account cumulative impacts on overburdened communities.

Resources

• Research Findings
• Data Brief
• Fact Sheet (English)
• Hoja de Datos (Español)

Metrics

This analysis used two different measures of pollution exposure: cumulative pollution exposure and air pollution (PM2.5). It also analyzed tree coverage.

Pollution Exposure Research Questions & Findings

Read more

• Blog Series: Improving Zoning Together: Pollution Exposure Outcome (Part 1 of 2)

Affordable Housing

Diverse and affordable housing options (subsidized, affordable, workforce/middle market, luxury) are available in every neighborhood including for the job insecure and unhoused populations.

Resources

• Research Findings
• Data Brief
• Fact Sheet (Coming Soon)

Metrics

To analyze affordability, the research team used Census data on metrics like rental prices, home values, demographics, and data on subsidized housing units. Permitting data was analyzed from the City of Chicago.

Affordable Housing Research Questions & Findings

Strong Business Corridors

Diverse business opportunities to support economic needs and resiliency of communities, including revitalization and preservation of existing commercial corridors.

Resources

• Research Findings
• Data Brief
• Fact Sheet (Coming Soon)

 

Metrics

Five measures of business vibrancy were analyzed in relation to zoning: business density, business vacancy, consumer spending, employment density, and employment diversity. Business corridors and pedestrian corridors were also defined and reviewed.

Strong Business Corridors Research Questions & Findings