Regional Planning Board: the Promise of More Livable Communities - Metropolitan Planning Council

Skip to main content

Regional Planning Board: the Promise of More Livable Communities

When Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich signed HB3121 in mid-August, he created a single agency known as the Regional Planning Board to coordinate and guide northeastern Illinois ’ growth and infrastructure investments -- a first in the region’s history. Advocates believe the new board, which merges the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) and Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS), has the potential to save money and vastly improve the livability of our communities.

Until now, with no single regional agency responsible for coordinating development, managing resources, and guiding public investments, northeastern Illinois ’ 272 municipalities were left to vie for “their share” of regional growth. Hodgepodge planning seemed a foregone conclusion – and an increasingly unacceptable one. With projections forecasting that Chicagoland will expand by nearly two million people (or 25 percent) by 2030, growth is imminent, welcome and manageable, if guided by a strong agency with a vision and policies that serve the needs of all of the region’s residents and businesses. But the stresses to the region are very real: exponential growth in the job market, a lack of affordable housing near new and established job centers, escalating traffic gridlock, and squeezed state resources.

Enter the Regional Planning Board. It has the potential to bring sanity by doing truly “regional” planning to guide and balance growth. With 15 members representing the City of Chicago and Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, the board will address the fiscal, social, and physical challenges inherent to growth and rationalizing economic development, housing, transportation, and natural resources decisions.

For instance, as the regional transit debate continues, the Regional Planning Board can and should play a role in guiding state leaders, the Regional Transportation Authority, and our transit providers – Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority – toward a long-term resolution to northeastern Illinois’ transit funding shortfalls. Such a solution should benefit all transit riders; expand commuting options; and strengthen Chicagoland’s voice in securing precious federal resources for public transit projects.

However, the Metropolitan Planning Council and other advocates warn of potential disconnects that could reduce the new board to little more than another layer of bureaucracy. Absent high-quality appointees or adequate revenues, the agency will lack the talent and capacity to help implement a truly coordinated growth plan.

A strong start for the new board begins with the selection of informed members who will work cooperatively to balance economic growth and enhance quality of life throughout northeastern Illinois. All 15 board members will need to be named by mid-October, and public attention to the appointment process will be vital to ensure the creation a strong agency. Let’s keep expectations high and set this board up for success, so that we can all enjoy the benefits of attractive, livable communities.

More posts by MarySue

All posts by MarySue »

MPC on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter »


Stay in the loop!

MPC's Regionalist newsletter keeps you up to date with our work and our upcoming events.?

Subscribe to Regionalist


Most popular news

Browse by date »

This page can be found online at http://archive.metroplanning.org/news/5411

Metropolitan Planning Council 140 S. Dearborn St.
Suite 1400
Chicago, Ill. 60603
312 922 5616 info@metroplanning.org

Sign up for newsletter and alerts »

Shaping a better, bolder, more equitable future for everyone

For more than 85 years, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has partnered with communities, businesses, and governments to unleash the greatness of the Chicago region. We believe that every neighborhood has promise, every community should be heard, and every person can thrive. To tackle the toughest urban planning and development challenges, we create collaborations that change perceptions, conversations—and the status quo. Read more about our work »

Donate »