CNT In the News

One development ordinance does not serve all neighborhoods

Crain's Chicago Business

For a closeup of our changing city, take a trip out to Milwaukee Avenue and look at the construction near the CTA's Blue Line stations. Thanks to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's 2015 "transit-oriented development," or TOD, ordinance, the corridor is gaining more than 700 apartments within a couple of blocks of its transit hubs.

The ordinance allows developers to dramatically cut the amount of parking per residential unit and allows more units on the same building footprint. It's an excellent strategy to fill vacant lots, develop underutilized parcels and build CTA ridership.

But as community protests have shown, this ordinance can also tip the balance away from affordable housing in gentrifying areas like Logan Square. And it's had little impact so far in communities where development is needed most: on the South and West sides.

One extra word—"equitable"—can change that dynamic. To achieve equitable transit-oriented development, we'll need one strategy for areas with a strong real estate market and another for weaker or emerging markets.

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