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A dynamic force: Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership celebrates a year of impact
It's time to celebrate a year of economic collaboration in northeastern Illinois. The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership Year in Review highlights its development into a dynamic force.
The Partnership drives economic growth and advances equity across our region, and includes the seven counties of northeastern Illinois (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will) and the City of Chicago.
World Business Chicago manages the Partnership and prepared the Year in Review, which spotlights 12 months of notable achievements and milestones:
- The Partnership supported job growth, helping to create and retain more than 8,500 jobs.
- The Partnership published the Greater Chicagoland Region Asset Map — a valuable tool that highlights our region's strengths.
- The Partnership featured public sector opportunities and key wins with economic impacts — and the future is bright.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) set the work in motion for the Partnership in 2020. Supported by a grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, CMAP partnered with the Brookings Institution, which helped create a shared regional framework for equitable economic development.
Northeastern Illinois is stronger when it works together as one. We are looking forward to another strong year of economic growth across our region.
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Finding the best fit: fresh look for upgraded Job Quality and Access Tool
Take a look at an updated tool that allows you to compare job quality and access to a living wage by zip code, county or throughout our region.
CMAP has upgraded the Job Quality and Access Tool, with improvements to data, definitions, and tool usability. Find information about:
- Earnings
- Required education for an occupation
- Career opportunities
- Required experience
- Benefits
- Demographic composition
- Stability
- Structure and flexibility
A new overlay allows you to see access to transit, and you can adjust the importance or weights of factors to meet your needs. Select a county (or our entire region) and an occupation. Then select whether you're seeking information about job quality or job access. Add factors such as education, experience, and more. The results will provide detailed information about that occupation in a specific area.
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CMAP Annual Report highlights a strong, thriving, and resilient northeastern Illinois
CMAP is proud to share its 2023 Annual Report. This reflects our region’s significant achievements over the past calendar year and spotlights a strong, thriving, and resilient northeastern Illinois.
Learn about CMAP's regional highlights, and get the details about our work on regional economy, transportation, and the climate, as well as our focus on the people in the region.
CMAP did not do it alone. Thank you to our partners, stakeholders, and our extraordinary CMAP team. This report and our shared successes demonstrate that we are stronger together.
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CMAP Board approves FY2025 Budget and Work Plan
Every day, CMAP serves our region in an effort to make northeastern Illinois a stronger, more resilient place to live. Our work is strategically planned in the region’s long-range plan and in its annual budget and work plan.
The CMAP Board approved the proposed FY2025 Budget and Work Plan for the next fiscal year starting July 1, 2024.
Watch this short video that highlights our work to strengthen the region’s transportation system, economy and resiliency to climate impacts.
And, read our informative budget document that tells the story of who we are, what we do, how we serve the region, where the money comes from and where it goes, our governance structure and more.
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There's still time to apply for Invest in Cook grants
For the eighth year in a row, Cook County's Department of Transportation and Highways is making available $8.5 million in Invest in Cook infrastructure grants to help prioritize transit and other transportation alternatives, support the region’s role as North America’s freight capital, promote equal access to opportunities, maintain and modernize what already exists and increase investments in transportation.
Invest in Cook is an initiative of Connecting Cook County, the county’s first long-range transportation plan in 75 years. Connecting Cook County lays the groundwork for how the county invests in transportation to attract and retain businesses, people, capital and talent. In its first 7 years, Invest in Cook awarded $56.4 million to fund 243 projects throughout the county.
In addition to funding projects, Invest in Cook provides technical and grant-writing expertise through staff support to help communities tap into new funding sources and accelerate the completion of projects that may have languished. The call for applications ends at 5:00 p.m. March 22.
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CMAP works to address issues in Cook County's property tax system
CMAP is working to help address difficult issues in Cook County's property tax system. The Cook County Property Tax (PTAX) Reform Group retained CMAP and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Government Finance Research Center to conduct analysis on key tax relief and revitalization programs and identify potential paths for policy change.
Illinois offers exemptions that reduce the taxable value of a homeowner’s primary residence, called a homestead. The exemptions lower a home’s property tax bill by shifting part of the burden onto other taxpayers through higher tax rates. That can have drawbacks as well as benefits.
This partnership allows CMAP and UIC to support tough conversations with new policy research and data analysis to ensure decision-makers have reliable information about the impacts and tradeoffs of potential changes. ON TO 2050, the region’s long-range plan, calls for efforts to modernize tax policies to sustain all communities. CMAP wants all communities in northeastern Illinois to have sufficient revenue options to cover the cost of public services and infrastructure.
Parts of the south and west suburbs have seen decades of disinvestment, and our current policies are failing to meet their needs. Reforms to tax policies need to be part of a larger program of regional economic development that closes these disparities. CMAP will continue to support Cook County’s efforts to balance lasting tax relief for homeowners with strategies to spur new investment and jobs in every community.
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Great Lakes ReNEW chosen as regional innovation engine
Water is a vital asset to our region, sustaining both us and our economy. But it is not a limitless resource, and often contains pollutants and minerals that could be removed or put to better use. That’s where Great Lakes ReNEW steps in.
Led by Current, Great Lakes ReNEW is a multistate partnership to find innovative ways to use and clean wastewater to fuel a more inclusive regional economy. The partnership researches and develops new technologies to remove forever chemicals from water, extract minerals for batteries, and put nutrients to productive use.
The National Science Foundation chose Great Lakes ReNEW as one of 10 inaugural regional innovation engines across the country. This is another in a series of activities that will help the region lead in the clean economy.
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Where there's a Will: provide feedback on Our Way Forward in Will County
Will County is launching its 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan: Our Way Forward. County officials are seeking input to define transportation priorities for the next 25 years — from investments in walking and biking to transit, and more.
You can provide feedback by adding insights to the comment map. You can also check out the presentations from recent open house events.
Issues needing to be addressed include:
- Increasing access to economic opportunity
- Balancing economic development and quality of life
- Improving safety
- Reducing roadway congestion
- Creating a resilient transportation network
- Improving transportation options.
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11 years on top: Site Selection magazine names Chicago area best region in the country for corporate investment
The Chicago area, for the 11th consecutive year, has claimed the top spot in Site Selection magazine's list of best metro areas in the United States for corporate investment.
The magazine listed the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area at the top of Tier 1 metro areas with more than 1 million residents. Our region had 485 total projects over the past year, more than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (452) and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Lane (413).
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Save the date: Illinois Economic Development Summit set for June 20-21
The Illinois Economic Development Summit takes place June 20-21 at the Summit Chicago Conference Center. It will include networking opportunities, as well as information about best practices, trends, and strategies.
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