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The decisions communities make today will shape northeastern Illinois for generations to come. From housing and transportation to water resources and open space, this issue of the newsletter explores how local planning fits into the region’s bigger picture.
We’ll highlight new regional priorities, opportunities to fund local projects, and data to inform decisions in your community. And as always, if there’s a planning project or local success story from your corner of the region you’d like us to consider highlighting, please email us!
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The Century Plan is a long-term vision to help northeastern Illinois thrive for decades to come, with regional collaboration at its heart.
What's new: At the October joint Board and MPO Policy Committee meeting, CMAP unveiled the Plan Preview, identifying five Grand Challenges that will guide regional action:🚌Transportation, 💧water, ⚡electric grid, 🏠housing, and 🌳Open space.
Why planners should care: These interconnected challenges affect everyday local decisions, from zoning and development to infrastructure investments, housing supply, and natural resource protection. Addressing them will require communities to work across jurisdictional boundaries.
The conversation is growing: CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman recently discussed the region's future at the City Club of Chicago and on WTTW's Chicago Tonight, emphasizing the importance of acting together to address challenges no single community can solve alone.
📚 Explore The Century Plan Preview
🎥 Watch Erin's City Club conversation | Watch WTTW's coverage
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From open space to housing: Catalyst Series sparks regional conversations
Two recent conversations, one shared goal: Helping northeastern Illinois make smarter decisions about growth and quality of life.
Protecting open space: At the Catalyst Series event in Spring Grove, regional leaders explored how conservation and economic development can reinforce one another. The region has nearly 270,000 acres of natural spaces, but balancing growth with environmental stewardship requires more coordinated action.
Rethinking housing: In October, experts gathered in Aurora to discuss changing housing needs as residents age and households become smaller. Communities need more diverse, attainable housing options, including missing middle housing, accessory dwelling units, and adaptive reuse.
Stay tuned for more events!
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A new transportation blueprint for northeastern Illinois
In October, the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee unanimously adopted the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), guiding transportation decisions and investments through 2050.
Why it matters locally: The RTP establishes shared priorities for safer streets, stronger connections, expanded transportation choices, climate resilience, and long-term infrastructure maintenance. From comprehensive and corridor plans to capital improvement programs, the RTP gives local governments a regional framework for advancing investments that support their communities and connect people to opportunity.
What's next: Implementation. CMAP and regional partners will turn the plan's goals into coordinated strategies, projects, and investments.
🚆 Explore the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan
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New heat data helps communities plan for a changing climate
A growing challenge: Extreme heat affects communities differently, making local data critical for planning and investment decisions.
What CMAP found: The new Heat Vulnerability Index shows that 44 percent of the region's population lives in census tracts with elevated heat vulnerability. Central and southwest portions of northeastern Illinois face particularly high risks.
Surface temperatures, tree canopy, age, and health conditions all influence vulnerability. Communities can use this information to guide tree planting, shade improvements, infrastructure investments, and other strategies that reduce heat exposure.
Bottom line: Better data can help communities target resources where they can make the greatest difference.
🌡️ Explore the Heat Vulnerability Index and regional findings
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$450 million available for transportation projects. Is your community ready?
CMAP's Transportation Call for Projects is now open, with $450 million available for federal fiscal years 2028-2032.
Projects that qualify: Funding through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, Surface Transportation Program Shared Fund, and Transportation Alternatives Program can support roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, bridge, and other improvements. These programs help communities turn transportation priorities into investments that improve safety, accessibility, connections, and air quality.
Important deadlines:
- December 7: Local applications due in eTIP for planning liaison review.
- December 18, 5 p.m.: Final applications and attachments due.
Before applying: Work closely with your Council of Mayors planning liaison to review project eligibility, application requirements, and local priorities.
🚧 Explore funding opportunities and application resources
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Local councils of mayors and the Chicago Department of Transportation programmed nearly $885 million for 296 projects from 137 sponsors across northeastern Illinois through the Surface Transportation Program Local for federal fiscal years 2027-2031.
Where investments are going: Most funding supports roadway maintenance and modernization, while nearly all projects include bicycle, pedestrian, or accessibility improvements. An additional 27 projects focus specifically on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Why it matters: These investments help communities preserve existing infrastructure, address safety needs, and move locally identified transportation improvements toward construction.
CMAP developed funding snapshots showing the projects and investments programmed across the region's subregional councils, which are available on our website.
🛣️ See which local transportation projects received funding
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