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| Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning |
| Formation | 2005 |
| Type | Regional planning agency |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Region served | Northeastern Illinois |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the metropolitan planning organization and regional planning body for the northeastern Illinois metropolitan area, encompassing Cook County, Illinois, DuPage County, Illinois, Kane County, Illinois, Kendall County, Illinois, Lake County, Illinois (Illinois), McHenry County, Illinois, and Will County, Illinois. It integrates land use and transportation planning across the Chicago metropolitan area, coordinating among municipal, county, state, and federal entities including the Illinois Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and United States Department of Transportation. CMAP produces comprehensive plans, technical analyses, and data tools used by stakeholders such as the Metra (commuter rail), Chicago Transit Authority, Regional Transportation Authority, and local municipalities.
CMAP was created to implement regional planning consistent with statutes like the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users framework and to comply with federal metropolitan planning requirements involving the United States Environmental Protection Agency for air quality conformity. Acting as the federally designated metropolitan planning organization and the state-designated regional planning body for northeastern Illinois, CMAP develops multimodal strategies affecting projects such as Interstate 90 (I-90), Illinois Route 53, and the Chicago Transit Authority Red Line extensions while coordinating with agencies including the Chicago Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority and regional entities like the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council. CMAP also maintains data resources connected to the American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau for regional analysis.
CMAP was established in 2005 through intergovernmental agreement among counties and municipalities in response to fragmented planning in the aftermath of postwar infrastructure programs influenced by projects like the Interstate Highway System. Early activities responded to growth patterns dating from the Great Migration and industrial shifts linked to the Pullman Strike era urban form. CMAP’s initial mandate included integrating land use planning with transportation investments to address issues reminiscent of debates over projects such as the Chicago Expressway System and controversies around the Dan Ryan Expressway. Over time CMAP incorporated lessons from prior regional efforts including the Chicago Regional Planning Association and collaborations with institutions like the University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, and DePaul University.
CMAP is governed by a board composed of representatives from counties, municipalities, transportation agencies, and state officials, paralleling governance models used by other metropolitan planning organizations such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay Area) and the Metropolitan Council (Twin Cities). Its executive leadership reports to committees that include technical advisory groups mirroring structures seen at the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration. CMAP’s staff comprises planners, modelers, and data scientists who work with regional partners including the Illinois Tollway Authority, Chicago Department of Transportation, Cook County Board of Commissioners, and nonprofit stakeholders such as the Regional Transportation Authority, Active Transportation Alliance, and Openlands.
CMAP’s work covers land use, transportation planning, sustainability planning, and economic development initiatives for the region. Major initiatives include scenario planning similar to approaches used by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and models leveraging inputs from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Transportation Research Board. Specific programs target transit-oriented development near Union Station (Chicago), Ogilvie Transportation Center, and LaSalle Street Station; freight and intermodal planning involving the Port of Chicago and BNSF Railway; and climate resilience planning referencing standards from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CMAP also advances complete streets, bicycle networks, and priority investment corridors comparable to initiatives by New York Metropolitan Transportation Council and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
CMAP is best known for producing long-range plans that synthesize data and policy, following practices akin to metropolitan plans such as the Plan Bay Area and the Transportation 2030 frameworks. Its flagship plan set regional goals addressing land use, transportation, housing, and water resources, informed by datasets from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, National Household Travel Survey, and modeling tools aligned with standards from the Federal Highway Administration. CMAP publishes conformity determinations related to the Clean Air Act and coordinates with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Technical memoranda, model documentation, and open data portals support local comprehensive plans, zoning studies, and grant applications to programs like the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.
CMAP’s funding derives from a mix of federal metropolitan planning funds administered by the United States Department of Transportation, state contributions through the State of Illinois, and local dues from counties and municipalities, supplemented by grants from foundations and partnerships with entities such as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. CMAP partners with transit operators including Metra (commuter rail), Chicago Transit Authority, and with regional nonprofits like Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning collaborators in data and research such as the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Urban Land Institute, and academic centers at University of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology.
CMAP’s planning has influenced investments in transit, stormwater management projects analogous to TARP (Chicago Tunnel and Reservoir Project), and land use policies promoting infill and transit-oriented development near corridors like the Milwaukee District North Line. Supporters cite improved coordination among the City of Chicago, suburban municipalities, and agencies such as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Critics have argued CMAP sometimes favors regional objectives over local autonomy and questioned its prioritization of projects compared to established practices at entities like the Chicago Plan Commission; controversies have involved disputes over modeling assumptions, allocation of federal funds, and perceived biases in recommending growth strategies versus preservation favored by groups like the Trust for Public Land and local preservation commissions.