NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 12, 2006
Contacts:
Tom Garritano, NIPC Communications Director, 312-386-8609;
tgarritano@nipc.org
Dennis Johnson, APA Public Affairs, (202) 349-1006;
djohnson@planning.org
Roberta Rewers, APA Public Affairs, (312) 786-6395;
rrewers@planning.org
Northeastern Illinois Planning Effort Selected For 2006
National Award
Washington, D.C. -- With northeastern Illinois expected to grow by 1.9
million people over the next 25 years, a new vision -- one that will
accommodate this anticipated growth in an efficient, coordinated and
sustainable manner -- is guiding decision making around the region. This
vision is a key component of the 2040 Regional Framework Plan, recipient
of the 2006 Outstanding Planning Award for a Plan from the American
Planning Association (APA).
"The innovative use of technology and broad community outreach ensure
that this plan will be a guiding light for those making land use and
public policy decisions in the southeastern Wisconsin, northeastern
Illinois and northwestern Indiana metropolitan area," said Carol Rhea,
AICP, chair of the APA awards committee. "This framework not only
recognizes the importance of local planning, but the role that local
residents and elected officials play in carrying out the vision," she
said.
Developed by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), the
2040 Plan will be recognized at APA’s National Planning Conference during
a luncheon ceremony on April 25 in San Antonio, Texas. In addition, a
30-minute video about all of APA’s 2006 National Planning Awards
recipients will be shown at the luncheon. Accomplishments of the awardees
will be highlighted in the March 2006 issue of Planning magazine and on
the APA website (www.planning.org).
The 2040 Plan (www.nipc.org/2040/)
covers six counties that make up the greater Chicago metropolitan area. As its work on the plan started, NIPC realized that a new
approach was needed if it was to effectively engage the region in seeking
solutions to current and emerging challenges. The commission instituted a
program called "Common Ground" to pursue a community-based approach to
regional planning.
State-of-the-art decision-support technology was used at each of Common
Ground's 200 workshops and meetings to involve participants in meaningful
discussion and to support consensus-based decision making.
Building upon its existing geographic information system, NIPC and
consultants at Criterion developed “Paint the Region,” an innovative
planning tool that allowed participants to map their desired future for
the region. Working in small groups, participants painted areas where
they wanted to see concentrations of development, the transportation
links needed to connect them, and the natural and open areas that should
be preserved.
A series of land-use modeling exercises illustrated the implications of
future growth -- with and without planning intervention. Snapshots of
urban design prototypes were incorporated into the tool to better help
the thousands of hands-on participants visualize possible scenarios for
the region’s future.
"The 2040 Plan describes 17 implementation strategies that require close
partnership at the regional and local levels," said NIPC executive
director Ron Thomas, AICP. "They include steps toward achieving a balance
between jobs and housing, promoting alternative modes of travel such as
walking and biking, sustaining the water supply from Lake Michigan and
other sources, preserving farmland and other strategies. We are actively
engaging the region's communities during this new implementation phase,
building on Common Ground's public-involvement successes that were
central to development of the plan."
The 2040 Plan includes 52 goals that were identified by participants and
covered a range of issues. The 17 implementation strategies -- based on
NIPC partnerships with state, county and local governments, advocacy
groups, and other stakeholders -- correspond to important planning
principles including provisions for affordable housing, social diversity
and inclusiveness, redevelopment, building reuse, and infill development.
Integration of local and regional plans and policies into the framework
plan is crucial to the regional plan's success.
The plan has been distributed in multiple formats, including a highly
interactive CD produced with consulting help from HNTB, the commission's
planning partner.
The APA National Awards for Planning are part of a proud tradition
established more than 50 years ago. The awards program recognizes
outstanding community plans, planning programs and initiatives, public
education efforts, and individuals for their leadership on planning
issues.
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About the APA
The American Planning Association and its professional institute, the
American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the
art, science and profession of good planning -- physical, economic and
social -- so as to create communities that offer better choices for where
and how people work and live. Members of APA help create communities of
lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests and
citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich
people's lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Ill., and
Shanghai, China. For more information, visit its website at
www.planning.org.
About NIPC
The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) was created in 1957
by the Illinois General Assembly as the region’s comprehensive land-use
planning agency. The legislation authorizes NIPC to conduct research for
planning -- including official forecasts of population, employment, and
other socio-economic indicators -- to advise units of local government on
their plans and policies, and to provide general comprehensive plans and
policies for use by local governments. NIPC's role was reaffirmed in 2000
by an Interagency Agreement with the Chicago Area Transportation Study
(CATS), the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), and the Illinois Department
of Transportation (IDOT). The agreement stipulates that NIPC's plans and
data are the basis for the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) that guides
critical decisions and investments of federal transportation funding. For
more, see www.nipc.org.