Chicago releases data-driven plan for citywide equity

Under the direction of mayor Lightfoot, the $4m We Will planning process was initiated by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and the Metropolitan Planning Council in August 2020 with a series of stakeholder workshops and pre-planning sessions.

Participants emphasised Chicago’s need for a citywide plan led by residents that were excluded or harmed from previous planning efforts and outcomes.

“It provides a foundation for long-lasting improvements that can be implemented by government, corporations, philanthropies, individuals, and other community stakeholders to make Chicago a more equitable and resilient city for all”

“The draft framework directly speaks to our times and the opportunities and challenges we collectively face as a city of neighbourhoods,” said Maurice Cox, commissioner, DPD.

“It provides a foundation for long-lasting improvements that can be implemented by government, corporations, philanthropies, individuals, and other community stakeholders to make Chicago a more equitable and resilient city for all.”

Publication of the 146-page draft simultaneously caps two years of research and meetings with over 115 resident volunteers, 25 community-based organisations, and 103 city staff.

The City starts a four-month public engagement period (through 1 Nov 2022) that will enable Chicagoans in every neighbourhood to respond to this vision for a more equitable and resilient city.

We Will contents are arranged around eight pillars:

• Arts and culture which presents strategies to support equitable access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 communities
• Civic and community engagement which addresses opportunities for more robust and effective civic participation, trust-building, and improved service delivery for residents
• Economic development which seeks to foster sustainable generational wealth for Black, Latino, and other households harmed by systemic inequities
• Environment, climate and energy which advances the city’s climate resiliency efforts and prioritizes strategies for Chicago’s most vulnerable residents
• Housing and neighbourhoods which aims to ensure that every Chicago neighbourhood is safe, inclusive, and vibrant with access to healthy, affordable, and accessible housing and amenities
• Lifelong learning which seeks to facilitate Chicagoans’ access to learning opportunities regardless of age, race, citizenship, and language proficiencies
• Public health and safety which aims to prioritise public health and wellness for all residents and improve trauma-informed responses to inequities in health and safety
• Transportation and infrastructure which sets goals to create access and connections through safe and reliable physical infrastructure and transportation networks.

Public feedback to the draft framework will be incorporated by planning staff in late 2022, and an updated We Will document will be presented to the Chicago Plan Commission in early 2023.

“With residents’ input that we will gather in the months to come, this plan will be a roadmap for a city where all people, businesses, and communities can thrive”

The adoption of We Will by the commission would lead to multiple implementation measures by the City that include new legislation, policies, executive orders, and other action items.

If adopted, the City would establish an administrative structure to facilitate accountability and transparency between departments and sister agencies to the public, and the budgets and scopes of existing City programmes would undergo equity analyses for their alignment with the framework’s goals and objectives.

The commission’s formal review and approval of large construction projects would also consider the projects’ potential to advance the framework’s equity and resiliency goals.