Chicago Comprehensive Plan

Chicago Comprehensive Plan
Name	Chicago Comprehensive Plan
Caption	Skyline of Chicago, focal area of the plan
Initiated	19th century–21st century
Jurisdiction	City of Chicago
Adopted	Various years (notable update 2019)

Contents

Chicago Comprehensive Plan

The Chicago Comprehensive Plan is the principal long-range planning document guiding land use, transportation, housing, redevelopment, and environmental policy for the City of Chicago. It synthesizes strategies from earlier planning efforts associated with figures and events such as Daniel Burnham, the 1909 Plan of Chicago, the Chicago Plan Commission, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and municipal administrations including the offices of Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel. The plan interfaces with regional frameworks like the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority and federal programs administered by agencies such as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

History

Chicago’s formalized planning lineage traces to the Plan of Chicago (1909), authored by Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett, which catalyzed later municipal initiatives like the Chicago Plan Commission and zoning ordinances enacted under mayors such as William Hale Thompson and Anton Cermak. Mid‑20th century projects linked to figures like Daniel Burnham Jr. and events including the World's Columbian Exposition influenced boulevard and lakefront policies coordinated with institutions such as the Chicago Park District and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Postwar suburbanization, guided by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and regional growth through the Chicago metropolitan area, prompted updates culminating in modern comprehensive plans developed during the administrations of Jane Byrne, Harold Washington, Richard M. Daley, and Rahm Emanuel, with community engagement models drawing on practices promoted by the American Planning Association and the Urban Land Institute.

The plan articulates a spatial vision linking downtown cores such as the Loop, neighborhood commercial corridors like North Michigan Avenue, transit hubs including Union Station and O’Hare International Airport, and open spaces managed by entities like the Chicago Park District and Trust for Public Land. Its goals align with national initiatives from agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation and echo priorities in documents by the Regional Transportation Authority (Illinois) and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). Policy ambitions emphasize equitable development recommended by advocacy groups like LISC and Local Initiatives Support Corporation partners, and reference legal frameworks shaped by the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Illinois statutes.

Land use sections coordinate zoning administered by the Chicago Zoning Ordinance and interpreted by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development with overlays for historic districts recognized by the National Register of Historic Places and the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. The plan incorporates form‑based and Euclidean zoning approaches, integrating transit‑oriented development around nodes such as stations on the Chicago Transit Authority network, commuter rail hubs on the Metra system, and freight corridors serving the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Redevelopment strategies interact with tax instruments including Tax Increment Financing administered through the Cook County Assessor and public‑private partnerships involving institutions like the Chicago Housing Authority and major universities such as University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

Transportation policies link multimodal assets including the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, Pace (transit), arterial streets like Lake Shore Drive, and airports such as O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. The plan addresses freight movement tied to the Port of Chicago and intermodal yards, utilities regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission, and stormwater and sewer systems operated by the Chicago Department of Water Management and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Investment priorities reflect federal funding streams through the Federal Transit Administration and resilience grants coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Housing strategies reference programs administered by the Chicago Housing Authority, funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and tax credit mechanisms like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit used in partnership with nonprofit developers including Habitat for Humanity affiliates. Economic development ties to major employment centers such as the Chicago Loop and West Loop, institutions like the Chicago Board of Trade and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and initiatives overseen by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Equity initiatives coordinate with community development corporations, workforce programs linked to Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, and regional economic strategies from CMAP.

Environmental measures integrate lakefront stewardship with the Chicago Park District, urban forestry programs implemented with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and green infrastructure promoted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Resilience planning references hazard mitigation frameworks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, climate action initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and regional climate assessments from CMAP, and energy partnerships involving utilities such as ComEd and renewable efforts connected to organizations like the Chicago Climate Action Plan partners.

Implementation relies on coordination among municipal agencies including the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Housing Authority, and the Chicago Plan Commission, with oversight from elected officials such as the Mayor of Chicago and legislative action by the Chicago City Council. Funding flows from municipal budgets, state appropriations by the Illinois General Assembly, federal grants from the Department of Transportation and Department of Housing and Urban Development, and private capital including institutional investors and foundations like the MacArthur Foundation. Monitoring and amendment processes engage stakeholder groups including neighborhood organizations, business improvement districts like Magnificent Mile Association, advocacy groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, and professional bodies like the American Planning Association.

Category:Urban planning in Chicago