On April 13, 2013, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) released its new Complete Streets Design Guidelines .  The “complete streets” movement emphasizes designing roadways for use by all modes, including transit, bicycle, and pedestrian. The guidelines contain four key themes to institutionalize complete streets into CDOT’s activities.  The first theme... Read More

This week, the Illinois General Assembly reconvened after a two-week spring break.  CMAP has been tracking over 350 bills this session, but only a fraction met last month’s committee hearing deadline.  In coming weeks, bills will have to meet third-reading deadlines in the respective chambers of origin starting in the Illinois House of Representatives (April 19) and later in the... Read More

CMAP’s recent manufacturing cluster drill-down report found that metropolitan Chicago’s manufacturers are in the midst of a strong resurgence, and they are well-positioned to compete in today’s globalized world.  However, manufacturers face significant workforce challenges , including an aging workforce, difficulty recruiting new workers, and the need to upgrade workers’ skills adapt... Read More

More so than most other segments of economy, manufacturing relies on an efficient transportation system for complex supply chain moves and access to new markets. Prior CMAP Policy Updates discussed key workforce and innovation issues affecting our region’s manufacturing cluster. This blog explores infrastructure findings from CMAP’s manufacturing cluster drill-down report , including... Read More

While annual permitted units are still at historic lows in northeastern Illinois, the region saw increases from post-recession lows in 2012. In some cases, annual permitted units in the region matched 2008 levels. There have also been unique shifts in the location and type of development -- in particular, suburban areas garnered a substantially larger share of the region’s multifamily... Read More