Prospering in Place
Introduction
Places matter. But for decades our region disregarded its historic, compact, transit-served neighborhoods in favor of urban sprawl with its dependence on cars and cheap gas. When the economy was growing, the cost of this shift was less apparent, but stagnant incomes, high unemployment, and historic fuel prices have exposed the long term folly of this development strategy.
The answer to this problem is location efficiency: our legacy development pattern with its respectful use of scarce land and energy, its appreciation for interaction and community, and a high esteem for the mass transit system that served it so well. In this “back to the future” scenario, we live closer to where we work; take transit, rather than drive; strengthen walkable neighborhoods that meet needs locally; and celebrate the vitality of compact, diverse communities linked together by fast, convenient, and affordable transit.
Prospering in Place is CNT’s call to action. It embraces the goals of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s GO TO 2040 plan and translates them into a place-based blueprint for prosperity. It shows how to restore location efficiency and create new jobs and economic vitality based on our unique assets and advantages:
- The most robust freight rail network in the country,
- The second largest passenger rail system in the country,
- Ample land adjacent to both systems available for development, and
- A culture that increasingly values a vibrant urban lifestyle.
Making It Happen
A prosperous regional future depends on our ability to target investments, both private and public, to the specific places with these assets. Reaping the benefits of GO TO 2040 will require bridging the gap between policy and place so as to yield the greatest economic benefits for our region. CNT has identified five policy steps towards place-based investment:
1. Identify Priority Development Areas: CMAP should designate the top development priorities identified in Prospering in Place as the communities where scarce resources will generate the strongest returns for the region. Under this program, CMAP would make PDAs the focus of the majority of its technical assistance and all of the Chicago Regional Sustainable Communities program.
2. Invest in Priority Development Areas: A Chicago Regional Sustainable Communities grant program should direct capital dollars to development opportunities in PDAs. Priority investments should go to communities with transportation connections essential to economic growth as well as to employment centers without public transportation service to help the region recapture its competitive edge.
3. Align Government Initiatives: Incentives must be aligned horizontally across economic development, transportation, and environmental agencies and vertically from the state down to the local level. The elevation of PDA communities will help them and our region become more competitive and attract the jobs that are so vital to our recovery and for which the underlying assets already exist.
4. Expand Transit: To maintain and improve the region’s fertile business environment, strong job market, clean air, and livable communities, the region must invest in its transportation network. CNT believes that Chicago-area residents—like residents in regions like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and the Twin Cities—will stand behind their elected officials in support of a dedicated revenue stream to fund necessary transit system expansions and improvements.
5. Fund Pre-Development: Underutilized brownfield sites across the region will never be competitive with greenfield sites unless resources are generated to underwrite difficult phases such as land assembly and environmental remediation. A bill to allow county land banking authorities to acquire, hold, and transfer properties will give communities the tools to grapple with those pre-predevelopment costs. The prioritization of properties within PDAs will help speed achievement of a 50 percent capture rate for TODs.
Download Prospering in Place or email kyle@cnt.org for more information.
Prospering in Place was made possible through the generosity of the Chicago Community Trust, Grand Victoria Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, the Field Foundation and the Harris Family Foundation. CNT thanks them for their support.
