To continue its efforts to get communities involved in the Chicago zoning ordinance rewrite, MPC is providing technical assistance to more than 40 community groups throughout the city.
"We are here to give folks an advance start to think about what should
happen in their own communities." With these words, Peter Skosey, vice president
of external relations for MPC, welcomed more than 20 people to the first of two
MPC-sponsored workshops about the City of Chicago's historic zoning rewrite
process, its current status and critical next steps. Eighteen community
groups sent representatives to learn how they can help inform the process.
MPC zoning workshop participants.
In 2001, MPC played a significant role in the rewrite process by ensuring
citizen input through a number of focus
groups. These resulted in nine
recommendations from MPC to the Mayor's Zoning
Reform Commission, all of which were incorporated into interim reports on the
plan.
The next phase of the process will be the development of a new zoning map.
Mapping determines where new zoning districts — such as pedestrian-oriented
retail, light industrial, mixed use and, for the first time, parks and other
open space — are placed. It is an early but critical step in the zoning
rewrite process and can have a lasting impact on the course of development in a
neighborhood.
MPC's two workshops were designed to continue to encourage and help
facilitate community participation in the rewrite. They will provide
community groups with the tools they will need to better collaborate with their
aldermen to develop a zoning change strategy for their wards. Zoning experts,
including Beth Hibner of Camiros, Ltd. and David Walker of Skidmore Owings and
Merrill provided background on the process, and answered specific questions
about remapping and ways community groups can be effective participants.
David Walker and a workshop participant discuss mapping issues for South
Shore.
"Mapping will allow communities to see what they have, identify what they
want and determine what they need," said Walker. "We want you to identify
the assets and challenges in your ward that may be affected by a new zoning
ordinance." Walker went on to say that people in communities are in a
unique position to contribute to the mapping aspect of the City's zoning rewrite
and how critical a step it is. "Mapping starts a process that escalates to
affect other aspects of the entire planning process."
Edie Cavanaugh of the West Lawn Chamber of Commerce (13th Ward)
found the session "very helpful," commenting especially on the number of
creative ideas generated by the panelists and her fellow community
representatives.
Each participant received a map of his or her ward, the workshop presentation
on CD-ROM and a folder of resource materials to take back to the
community. MPC hopes that each group will develop a zoning change strategy
that identifies the assets and challenges, as Walker outlined. "I have a
number of block captains who are excited about this opportunity to contribute to
the mapping discussion and help define the direction our neighborhood will take
in terms of development and preservation," said Cavanaugh. "Maybe as a
group we will be able to take our map to our alderman and get some meaningful
results," she concluded.
The second workshop takes place on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 at Northeastern
Illinois University from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information
contact Heather
Campbell at 312-863-6006.