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What's up in northeastern Illinois: highlighting a year of achievements, searching for the next Peters Fellow, and kicking off a water workshop series
Welcome to the first CMAP Update newsletter of 2026. We're proud to present our annual report, which showcases a year of achievements and milestones.
We're also excited about a water workshop series that's about to kickoff. We're highlighting a dynamic StoryMap that explains housing rehabilitation in our region. And we're getting ready for a housing summit in Lake County.
We appreciate you taking the time to read the CMAP Update. If you're interested in more topics, we also have newsletters for regional economy, transportation, climate, and more. Sign up now to discover more of our newsletters.
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Solving for tomorrow, today: CMAP releases its 2025 annual report
CMAP published its 2025 annual report, highlighting how the agency and its partners are improving infrastructure, mobility, the environment, the economy, and quality of life across northeastern Illinois.
Required under the Illinois Regional Planning Act, the report reflects this year’s theme — solving for tomorrow, today — and will be shared with the Illinois General Assembly and key stakeholders statewide.
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 Five years of Peters Fellows: Prithvi Hegde, Rachel Gaunce, Nicholas Riehle, Lee Skuby, and Nathan Klima.
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Apply now: Peters Fellowship offers practical work experience and much more
The Phillip D. Peters Regional Planning Fellowship places a graduate student on CMAP projects related to transportation, land use, environment and natural resources, housing, or economic development.
Fellows are matched to work aligned with their academic background and interests, with opportunities for networking and professional enrichment in one of the nation's largest metropolitan areas, at a major regional planning agency.
🗓 Apply by: 5:00 p.m. CST, Monday, February 2
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Shared Waters, Shared Future: workshop series starts in February
CMAP is launching the Shared Waters, Shared Future: Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Sustainability virtual workshop series. To secure a reliable and sustainable water future for our region, communities, utilities, and organizations must plan ahead, coordinate across boundaries, and adopt conservation strategies.
This five-part workshop series tackles today’s most pressing water challenges. Don’t miss the first workshop, Water Utility & Local Government Collaboration, on February 18.
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Highlighting housing rehab: new toolkit offers resources and recommendations
A recently released toolkit highlights housing rehabilitation, which can help address a housing shortage in northeastern Illinois.
Currently, there’s not enough housing being built to meet our region’s needs. Housing rehab can create new options for existing structures that are not viable or habitable but can be improved or repaired and made functional once again. It also addresses critical issues such as safety hazards, structural deterioration, and affordability challenges.
🏠 New toolkit: the housing rehab in the region toolkit includes a StoryMap on challenges and opportunities for rehabilitation, as well as a list of housing rehab resources to help support community housing goals in our region.
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 CMAP's Enrique Castillo (left) talks with Assistant Village Manager for Oak Park Jonathan Burch (right) at a Housing Lake County workshop.
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Upcoming call to action as housing summit heads to Lake County
CMAP and Lake County — with support from Schreiber Philanthropy — partnered to advance solutions that address the county's housing challenges. Through a series of workshops, the Housing Lake coalition has brought together more than 200 participants: municipal leaders, developers, employers, nonprofits, and residents.
At the January workshop, a fireside chat featured Jonathan Burch, assistant village manager and neighborhood services director for the Village of Oak Park, who shared valuable insights from his housing work across our region, including his experiences with CMAP and Lake County.
In February, the housing summit will mark the beginning of strategy development and implementation work. Coalition stakeholders will be invited to sign a non-binding resolution — a public commitment to take action on housing.
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Open house alert: consultants invited to learn about CMAP's upcoming projects
Prospective and current consultants are invited to join CMAP for an in-person open house highlighting upcoming projects in fiscal year 2027 and beyond.
Hear about future work, including bike and pedestrian plans, corridor planning, capital improvement plans, ADA projects, and more.
📍 CMAP Office, Chicago’s Old Post Office
🗓 Wednesday, February 4
⏰ 1:00–4:00 p.m.
✅ RSVP by Friday, January 30. Click below for details.
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Public input requested for CMAP's federal certification review
CMAP is undergoing its federal metropolitan planning organization certification review, a required four-year process conducted by Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
As part of the review, the public is invited to share input on CMAP’s transportation planning process in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties through February 10.
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Future-proofing our communities: CMAP experts focus on flood risk at conference
Climate variability is fueling more frequent and intense storms, making flooding the most significant climate hazard to our region’s homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Learn more from CMAP's Senior Planner Kelsey Pudlock and Program Lead for Climate Resilience Kate Evasic as part of a half-day virtual seminar sponsored by DuPage County Stormwater Management.
The session — Strategies to Future-Proof our Communities for a Variable Climate — will introduce the latest updates to the Flood Susceptibility Index and Transportation Resilience Improvement Plan. It will also offer new data and tools to communicate potential flood risk and identify solutions.
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Support in McHenry County: People in Need Forum to showcase available resources
McHenry County College hosts the annual People in Need Forum on January 31. The event includes resources and support available for county residents needing assistance with a range of social services.
The event is free and open to the public.
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Evergreen Park, McHenry County get safety funding
Strong applications led to two northeastern Illinois communities to secure USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funding:
🎉 Congratulations to both communities on advancing safety on local streets.
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