What is CMAP?
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the comprehensive planning organization for the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will.
What is CMAP working on?
CMAP’s work spans three focus areas: transportation, climate, and regional economic competitiveness. The agency and its partners developed and are implementing ON TO 2050, a long-range, comprehensive plan for northeastern Illinois.
CMAP’s annual work plan and budget guides and describes the agency’s activities and desired outcomes for each fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. For the latest at CMAP, sign up for our weekly newsletter.
What is ON TO 2050?
ON TO 2050 is a long-range plan to help the seven counties and 284 communities of northeastern Illinois implement strategies that address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues.
Learn more about the plan and view an executive summary.
How can CMAP be a resource for journalists?
Journalists commonly use our community data snapshots in their reporting. These snapshots summarize demographic, housing, employment, transportation, land use, revenue, and water data in northeastern Illinois' seven counties, 284 municipalities, and 77 Chicago neighborhoods.
We conduct an annual public opinion survey of northeastern Illinois. The findings reveal residents’ attitudes toward key quality-of-life issues — including transportation, open space, and housing — and identify successes and challenges across the region. In 2021, the survey also looked at how COVID-19 affected residents’ transportation use and finances.
You may also want to speak to our subject matter experts, who have specialized knowledge in transportation, environment, regional economy, and other topics related to our work.
Contact Jennie Vana to connect with the right expert for your story.
I want to interview someone from CMAP. What should I do?
Direct any media requests to Jennie Vana. Please include your deadline.
When and why was CMAP created?
CMAP was created in 2005 through the Regional Planning Act to streamline, coordinate, and better integrate plans for land use and transportation among the region’s 284 communities. The act consolidated within CMAP the two agencies previously responsible for land use and transportation planning — the Chicago Area Transportation Study and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.
Is CMAP a government agency?
Yes, CMAP is a government agency. The agency’s policy committee is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for northeastern Illinois as detailed in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962.
What is a metropolitan planning organization?
A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is the policy board of an organization created and designated to carry out the metropolitan transportation planning process. MPOs are required by federal law for all urbanized areas with populations greater than 50,000.
Who leads the agency?
Erin Aleman is CMAP’s executive director. Appointed in June 2019, Aleman is the first woman and first professional planner to lead the agency. Aleman has more than 15 years of experience with developing transportation and land use policies.