Illinois Metropolis Plan Looks to Regionalism

The Chicago region, composed of the City of Chicago and the 272 Illinois municipalities that surround it, is expected to add 1.6 million people, 800,000 new jobs, and another million cars over the next thirty years.

Contact: Rose Krasnow
Natural Resources Policy Studies

To determine how such tremendous growth should be managed, the Chicago civic community implemented a process similar to "Envision Utah," in which citizens, business leaders and others were asked to evaluate alternative futures developed using sophisticated economic, land use, and transportation models. Although many scenarios were created, two were selected to illustrate what the future might hold: a "Business as Usual" scenario and "The Metropolis Plan," described as "an alternate path that reflects the principles and preferences that residents of the region shared."

The Metropolis Plan essentially argues that while local government will remain the cornerstone of communities, a strong region is possible only if communities are willing to cooperate on issues that transcend local political boundaries. The Plan calls for the following:

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Coordinating land use and transportation policy more effectively;

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Creating a broader range of housing options throughout the region;

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Rebuilding and redeveloping existing communities, ensuring adequate affordable housing near jobs and transit, and promoting economic growth in communities facing economic hardship;

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Ensuring that the Chicago region remains a preeminent national and international hub for freight transportation;

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Designing communities that are friendly to walking, biking, and the use of public transit;

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Protecting natural areas, open space, and farmland; and

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Aligning economic incentives in ways that encourage individuals and local governments to make choices that benefit the region.

The benefits of implementing the Metropolis Plan vs. Business as Usual by the Year 2030 are projected to be numerous. Based on the models used:

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$3.7 billion would be saved in local water, sewer, and street costs.
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The average resident of the Chicago region would spend 155 fewer hours a year in traffic.
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Residents would travel three million fewer miles in cars every day during the peak travel hour.
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300 square miles of open space would be spared from development.
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Public transit use would be doubled while walking and bicycling would increase by 60 percent.

* The Metropolis Plan: Choices for the Chicago Region: http://www.chicagometropolis2020.org/

http://www.nga.org/center/frontAndCenter/1,1188,C_FRONT_CENTER%5ED_5210,00.html