Introduction

Growing Pains

As of 2000, more than 8 million people were living in our region of northeastern Illinois. That number is projected to increase to more than 10 million by 2030. If we continue to develop new land at the current densities, by 2030 the region would consume an additional 337,000 acres to accommodate the projected population growth - an area equivalent to the size of Kane County.

For the greater Chicago region to maintain its standard of economic vitality and overall livability, planners and developers must follow a coordinated plan that best accommodates growth while preserving our natural environment.

Over the next 30 years, we must proactively plan how to:

House 2 million more people and 1.2 million more jobs

Mitigate traffic congestion;

Deal with a potential shortage of water;

Avoid premature consumption of land by pursuing infill and redevelopment;

Protect important open space and natural resources;

Shape a sustainable future rather than react to ongoing development trends.

Meeting Challenges

Based on significant regional input through its Common Ground initiative, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) has developed the 2040 Regional Framework Plan to help guide local decision-making in meeting the challenges our community faces.

The 2040 Plan provides a framework to: Guide regional development in accommodating growth while preserving valued assets. Coordinate local land-use plans and regional-level decisions by facilitating greater intergovernmental cooperation. Strengthen the link between land-use planning and investment in transportation and other infrastructure across the region.
	Sensible Growth vs. Sprawl Without planning that guides compact growth to sectors B or C, sprawl stretches beyond the incorporated Center to sector D.	Compact Development If housing and other local destinations are concentrated at the outer edges of incorporated areas and away from transit centers, trips to typical destinations will increase traffic congestion on arterials and expressways.

Recognizing local autonomy for land-use decision making, the 2040 Plan calls for local communities to voluntarily and proactively apply detailed implementation strategies. With action at the locallevel, the plan can help lead the region into a highly livable and economically prosperous future.

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Plan Themes

NIPC gathered input from residents, policy experts and elected officials who identified 52 regional goals. These goals were organized into five core themes outlining what citizens want for the region's future. The themes act as a shared set of values that cut across geography and other traditional boundaries. They provide a focus for - and measure of - the 2040 Plan's success.

Livable Communities
The region will be characterized by communities with diverse populations, accessible jobs, pedestrian-friendly residential and commercial areas and economically diverse housing stock. All the region's residents will have access to high-quality open space and recreation opportunities; convenient public transportation; and excellent, equitable schools, health care, social services and cultural amenities.

Diversity of its People
The region will view its racial, ethnic and cultural diversity as an asset, characterized by inclusive communities and neighborhoods and by equity in the distribution of opportunities and resources.

Healthy Natural Environment
The quality of the region's air, water, land and other natural resources will be preserved and enhanced by public and private action and by an environmentally literate populace.

Global Competitiveness
The region will have an internationally competitive economy, supported by diversity of businesses and workers with the skills, tools and infrastructure needed to succeed. Jobs and business opportunities will be equitably distributed throughout the region.

Governed Collaboratively
The public's business will be done by governments that cooperate effectively and incorporate public involvement.

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Creating the Framework

Nearly 4,000 residents, elected officials and community leaders participated in NIPC's Common Ground workshops to set the planning agenda for the region. This agenda includes 17 implementation strategies in support of the 52 goals and five themes. These strategies align with a geographic framework of centers, corridors and green areas to guide regional planning and growth through 2040. The 2040 Regional Framework Map illustrates this strategy for growth.

Synthesizing the 2040 Regional Framework Map

Centers	Corridors	Green Areas
Centers come in different sizes, from Metropolitan Centers to Hamlets. They are generally defined as compact, mixed-use, livable, inclusive and economically vibrant places interconnected by multiple modes of transportation.	The 2040 Plan defines a system of transportation corridors and supportive land uses meant to connect the region's centers and improve residents' quality of life by making it easier to get around our communities.	From small parks and streams to large prairies and lakes, green areas are valuable, biodiverse resources that include agriculturalland, open space, water resources and greenways. They can connect communities and provide for the health and well-being of citizens.

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