Innovation and Integration Summit explores intersection of jobs, housing and transportation planning
 

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning event also serves as launch for a Regional Snapshot report with data and analysis describing northeastern Illinois

CHICAGO, February 6, 2007 -- At today’s "Innovation and Integration Summit," the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) convened over 250 participants for give-and-take discussions on the relationships between jobs, housing and transportation. Featuring talks by local and national experts, the event is part of CMAP’s effort to break down barriers to examining the region’s challenges as a whole, rather than in isolation.
 
The summit, held at the University of Illinois at Chicago, also saw CMAP launch its Regional Snapshot (http://www.chicagoareaplanning.org/snapshot/), which summarizes some of the primary challenges facing northeastern Illinois. The report includes data and analysis describing where the region stands regarding population, the economy, land use, natural resources, transportation and housing.
 
"If Chicago is to continue to stand out as one of the nation’s leading cities and continue to expand its global role, it must function efficiently in its internal circulation of ideas, goods and -- the hallmark of great cities -- people," said Michael Moskow, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, during his summit keynote address, titled “Integrated Planning for a Global City.”
 
The balance of jobs, housing and transportation has especially wide-ranging economic effects, according to the CMAP Regional Snapshot.  The most recent data confirm that housing costs continue to increase as a percentage of income for most residents in the seven counties of metropolitan Chicago.  Renters in the region spend a higher percentage of their income on housing than homeowners do, but the rate for homeowners is increasing faster than it is for renters.
 
One result is that people on average are traveling farther to work. In 1970, only 13 percent of the region’s residents lived and worked in different counties. By 2000, this had increased to more than 25 percent, for a total of more than 1 million inter-county commuters.
 
"Many people can't afford to live near where they work, which increases commute times, transportation costs and pollution," said CMAP Board chairman Gerald Bennett, mayor of Palos Hills. "This is an example of why residents and leaders across metropolitan Chicago are expressing increased awareness that the most urgent challenges facing us are highly interconnected. At CMAP, we believe in a comprehensive approach to planning that considers the links between jobs, housing, transportation and other factors that shape the economy and quality of life."

A recurring theme of the summit was the need for new public investment in infrastructure for transportation and other uses. CMAP is aggressively advocating that the State of Illinois begin a new program of capital investment for transportation, water treatment, schools and other infrastructure.
 
"Without capital funding for necessary infrastructure, the region's economy is at risk of losing its competitive advantage," said Randy Blankenhorn, CMAP executive director. "At present, about 80 percent of available funds are used just to maintain and rehabilitate the existing surface transportation system.  CMAP is encouraging new, fiscally responsible investment, which is essential for northeastern Illinois to have the capacity to handle projected growth of 1.2 million more jobs and 2 million new residents by 2030."
 
The summit featured exhibits about technical assistance to communities by CMAP and partner organizations. Featured CMAP projects include Full Circle (http://www.fulcir.net/), which develops wireless web tools to help communities identify how land parcels are being used, and how they could be used more effectively through coordinated, local planning. Other exhibitors included the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago Metropolis 2020, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, the Metropolitan Planning Council, the Chicago Rehab Network, the Regional Transportation Authority and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
 
To integrate planning for transportation and land use, CMAP was created in 2006 by merging the staffs of the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC). The agency serves the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will.
 
 

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