This time of year, we all “go gaga” over year-end lists, from the most memorable headlines and the best new restaurants, to the most colossal cinematic flops and the worst-dressed celebrities.
We keep track of so much data at MPC that we decided to get in on the fun. MPC by the Numbers: 2010 Edition is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a numeric snapshot of some of our most memorable successes over the past 12 months. These wins have inspired us to set ambitious goals for 2011, and we hope they also inspire you, our volunteers and friends, to continue to work with us to support sustainable, equitable and competitive communities across northeastern Illinois and Northwest Indiana.
Organizational success
76 Years since MPC was founded.
99 Percent increase in unique visitors to MPC’s web site from this time last year.
9,122+ Subscribers who receive Re-Connection, MPC’s monthly e-newsletter.
980 People “Like” MPC on Facebook.
440 Followers of @Metroplanners on Twitter.
57 active MPC Board members.
2 MPC events featuring D.C. officials.: in April, Shelley Poticha, director of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities; and in October, Xavier de Souza Briggs, associate director for general government programs, White House Office of Management and Budget.
Community outreach
To inform our policy work, MPC partners with local communities to solve specific development challenges.
41 Communities working together and with MPC to solve shared development challenges through interjurisdictional collaboration in the North Shore, and in Northwest, West, and South Cook County.
4,782 Individual votes cast in the “What Makes Your Place Great? Your Secret Corner of Chicagoland” photo and video contest, which highlighted 24 submissions for Chicagoland’s favorite public places.
150 Residents from Chicago’s South Side who participated in a community visioning session, hosted by the Developing Communities Project and MPC, to plan for the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line extension.
1 Multimedia communications campaign, What Our Water’s Worth, launched by MPC and Openlands, to raise awareness about the value of water in metropolitan Chicago. Learn more at Chicagolandh2o.org!
12,437 Subscribers who receive the What Our Water’s Worth e-newsletter.
1,500 Estimated number of people MPC’s staff reached as a speaker at forums about water issues.
52 water-related news articles that included MPC data or expert analysis – about five times as much coverage of this topic as 2009, indicating the region’s growing interest in water and the future of our region.
1,713 Subscribers who receive Talking Transit, MPC’s twice-monthly e-mail on transit innovations.
14 mayors across three counties in Northwest Indiana engaged through the Gary and Region Investment Project.
78 Percent of attendees at MPC’s “Choosing Our Water Future” roundtable knew “quite a bit” or “a great deal” about water issues after the event – a marked contrast from 52 percent of attendees who said they knew “nothing,” “very little,” or “somewhat” about water issues before the roundtable.
640 people attended seven MPC roundtables/forums through November 2010.
Policy wins
MPC’s advocacy and technical assistance helped shape and support sensible regional development initiatives in 2010.
1 Bill (HB 43) adopted by the Illinois General Assembly requiring drivers to stop, not just yield, to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill into law in July, making Illinois’ streets safer and more welcoming for all users.
1 Affirmative vote by the Illinois General Assembly to renew the groundbreaking Affordable Housing Tax Credit, which provides employers a 50-cent tax credit for every $1 they invest in employer-assisted housing.
1 First-ever, comprehensive, regional plan, GO TO 2040, launched by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, after nearly two years of hard work on the part of CMAP, regional stakeholders, and partners, including MPC.
$4.25 Million in federal funding awarded to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning for implementation of the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan.
$60 Million invested in new housing, economic development or infrastructure investments in northeastern Illinois, since 2005, as a result of MPC’s Community Building Initiative.
71 Percent of MPC’s Community Building Initiative partners have or are in the processing of implementing at least one priority recommendation made through MPC’s technical assistance.
92 Affordable homes created or preserved as a result of MPC’s Community Building Initiative activity since 2005.
100 Percent of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds for foreclosure recovery awarded to the South and West Cook County Housing Collaboratives were obligated by the September deadline. Fifty properties were acquired and 10 demolished to make way for future mixed-use or transit-oriented development.
45 Area companies attended two employer outreach events hosted by the South and West Cook County Housing Collaboratives and Charter One Bank.
$2,351,848 U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant funding awarded to the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association in support of its comprehensive redevelopment strategy.
1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Smart Growth Implementation Assistance in-kind award given to the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association to structure a development fund.
$230,000 Philanthropic dollars leveraged by the South and West Cook County Housing Collaboratives to support their interjurisdictional activities, thanks to The Chicago Community Trust, Grand Victoria Foundation, and Field Foundation.
29 Homes being rehabbed through the West Cook County Housing Collaborative’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding from Cook County. This includes a 26-unit rental building in Maywood and three single-family homes in Bellwood.
$265 Million+ in competitive federal funding awarded to Illinois and Northwest Indiana to support sustainable development.
28 New apartments assisted with Regional Housing Initiative (RHI) funding as part of 108 units of mixed-income housing in the city of Chicago and Cook County.
5 Properties, representing 67 affordable and 249 market-rate homes, secured financing thanks in part to RHI commitments in Chicago, Lake County, and Skokie, Ill.
30 New affordable homes in a 170-unit mixed-income community in McHenry County were leased through RHI.
3,550+ Employees in northeastern Illinois benefitted from housing counseling and education since MPC launched its Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) initiative in 2000.
2,200+ Employees in northeastern Illinois received downpayment assistance from their employers to purchase a home closer to work since 2000.
$8.5 Million Employer dollars invested in EAH since 2000.
$2.3 Million Public dollars invested in EAH since 2000.
5 New EAH programs in development across the country, thanks to MPC’s start-up consulting assistance.
2 New national EAH Technical Assistance partners in New Orleans and Pittsburgh.
10 National EAH participating employers advocated for reforming the next surface transportation funding bill, passing the Livable Communities Act, or supporting other federal policy changes to create sustainable communities.
3 Partners (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Denver, Honolulu) included EAH as a core component of successful funding requests to the Sustainable Communities Initiative.
4 “Bring Workers Home” workforce housing forums organized in partnership with the National Association of Realtors and National Housing Conference in Atlanta, Ga., Austin, Texas, Minneapolis, Minn., and Honolulu, Hawaii.
$5 Million in new Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) funding dedicated for green infrastructure.
2 State revolving loan funds MPC helped convince IEPA to restructure, improving the effectiveness of $450 million in annual state investments in water.
375 People from communities across metropolitan Chicago who attended three public workshops organized by MPC on the IEPA’s new Illinois Green Infrastructure Grant Program for Stormwater Management.
2 Workshops facilitated by MPC to share Complete Streets and Placemaking best practices with 60 department heads and staff from the Chicago Depts. of Transportation; Zoning, Land Use and Planning; and Community Development, Illinois Dept. of Transportation, and other city and state agencies.
$1.13 Billion in federal funding designated for the Chicago-St. Louis-Kansas City high-speed rail corridor. This 570-mile upgrade will make the Chicago-to-St. Louis trip 30 percent faster and spark economic development and revitalization around stations.
$100 Million in federal TIGER funding for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program, which is unlocking freight and commuter gridlock in our region by making critically needed infrastructure improvements.
15 transformative investments identified in the first phase of the Gary and Region Investment Project, which launched Oct. 27, in Gary, with more than 200 attendees.
Development milestones
150+ Volunteer members of MPC’s Board of Governors, Committees and Resource Board.
10 New Board members: Rita Athas, World Business Chicago; Larry Borgard, Peoples Gas/Integrys; Dr. Byron Brazier, Apostolic Church of God; Carole Brown, Siebert Branford Shank; Chris Burke, Christopher Burke Engineering; Ellen Carnahan, Machrie Enterprises; Chair, IL Venture Capital Assn.; Greg Mutz, Amli Residential Properties Trust; Paul Nowicki, BNSF; Jorge Ramirez, Chicago Federation of Labor; Doug Regan, Northern Trust.
2 New Resource Board members: Christopher Robling, Jayne Thompson and Associates; and Chinwe Onyeagoro, OH Community Partners
$417,700 Gross revenue from 2010 Annual Luncheon; $300,000 in net revenue to support MPC programs.
108 New donors.
2 Leadership Circle events featuring André Navarri, president & COO, Bombardier Transportation; and Xavier de Souza Briggs, associate director for general government programs, White House Office of Management and Budget.