A 30-year-plus plan that is truly comprehensive and regional makes the latest long-range development strategy different from previous ones, says the head of the area’s top planning agency.

The proposed “GO TO 2040” program is different in that it will focus on overall strategy and what it takes to get it done, said Randy Blankenhorn, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

It also marks the first time that such a long-range plan for the area has been focused on policy.

“This is the first truly regional planning effort,” Blankenhorn said. “Other good plans have been written by other groups and win awards, but nobody reads them.”

Another difference is that other plans have been written on individual subjects such as transportation, the environment and housing. This latest one, he said, will be much more comprehensive.

To that end, and a key to the success of the CMAP plan, is the attempt to get suburban government officials and business leaders to buy into the notion that that Chicago and the suburbs are one economic entity.

“We really need to get them to think alike,” Blankenhorn said, pointing out that in the battle for new business it’s not the city vs. the collar counties nor one county here vs. another but rather the entire region competing with other parts of the country or even other nations.

That concept needs to be embraced by many more local leaders than are found in other parts of the country. (See accompanying chart)

The Chicago region far outstrips all others in the U.S. in the sheer number of units of local government. This system of representative government—with counties, cities, towns and villages and townships—is unique, according to Blankenhorn, in the degree of local control that it affords to the communities.

“Such intensely personalized governance plays an important role in the region’s prosperity, with mayors and other elected officials who remain highly responsive to constituents who are literally their close neighbors,” he said.

CMAP was created in 2005 to integrate planning for land use and transportation in the seven counties of northeastern Illinois: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will. By state and federal law, CMAP is responsible for producing the region’s official, integrated plan for land use and transportation. Its regulations were revised in November 2007.

Unified thinking, Blankenhorn said, will help northeastern Illinois accommodate an anticipated 2.8 million new residents and 1.8 million jobs in the next three decades.

The plan will shape the region’s transportation systems and development patterns, while also addressing the natural environment, economic development, housing, education, human services and other factors shaping quality of life.

“GO TO 2040 is the region’s best—some even say ‘last’—chance to get a handle on the growth that we all know is coming,” Blankenhorn said.

“We’ll be providing extensive opportunities for people of all ages to imagine how they want the region to look in 2040 and beyond.

“The plan and its implementation campaign will be based on values that are shared across the region, including the desire for reduced congestion, for access to housing and human services, for good jobs and for a healthy environment.”

The campaign is being launched in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust, which is providing financial and research support. The board of the Trust has approved the first year of a projected three-year, $1.35 million grant.

CMAP and the Trust are developing a set of regional indicators that will predict the effects of policies and investments that the region should implement to achieve its vision for the future.

“For more than 90 years, the Trust has helped our region address its most pressing challenges and promising opportunities through the strategic and timely application of philanthropic resources,” said Terry Mazany, president and chief executive officer.

“This regional plan will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to broadly engage residents and apply our best thinking to bring about a future that benefits all of us and ensure our region’s global standing.”

The new partnership, Mazany said, enables the Trust to combine its in-depth experience in key social issues with CMAP’s expertise in land use and transportation planning to create new knowledge about what policies will lead to a vibrant and healthy region in coming decades.

The Trust has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. With assets of $1.8 billion, the Trust made a record-breaking $114 million in grants during 2007. Grants have strengthened community schools, assisted local art programs, built health centers and helped lives affected by violence.

Throughout the planning process, the public will have opportunity to offer input on GO TO 2040, including an interactive Web site at www.goto2040.org. In an on-line survey there, people can express preferences about how they want the region to look by 2040.

CMAP and the Trust, Blankenhorn explained, are working in partnership to actively engage their networks of regional decision-makers, civic leaders, community-based organizations and non-profit groups to participate in this important regional planning effort.

Because GO TO 2040 coincides with the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago, Blankenhorn noted that CMAP is working closely the with Burnham Centennial Partners to learn from the past and build public awareness of the need for more effective planning today.

CMAP is currently developing a regional vision. That is the first step toward completing the GO TO 2040 plan. In mid-2009, residents across the region will have the opportunity to comment on several alternative GO TO 2040 scenarios. Blankenhorn said each scenario will have distinct approaches for accommodating growth and maximizing regional prosperity and global competitiveness.

Based on the chosen scenario, in 2010 the GO TO 2040 plan will be finalized and its implementation will begin.

A draft on the Web site includes vision statements on quality of life; sustainability; equity; environmental health; energy and resource conservation; water supply; housing; public health and safety; education; economic competitiveness; reinvestment; transportation accessibility and efficiency; coordinated planning and government; and civic involvement.

Sources
•CMAP—www.cmap.illinois.gov
•GO TO 2040—www.goto2040.org
•The Chicago Community Trust—www.cci.org
•Burnham Centennial Partners—www.burnhamplan100.org

Dan McLeister, Contributing Writer