Media kit banner

For the media

Media kit

Media kit

On this page, you’ll find information that may be useful when covering a story about the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) or our topic areas.

Please direct any media requests to Jennie Vana.

For the latest at CMAP:

Snapshot of our region. 7 counties. 284 communities. 77 chicago neighborhoods. 8.5 million residents. 29,980 miles of road. CMAP logo

How CMAP can help

Subject matter experts

CMAP has expertise in:

  • Transportation: regional transportation network, traffic safety, freight, public transit, walking and biking infrastructure, parking, transportation funding, regional patterns, accessibility, electric vehicles, supply chain, mobility recovery from COVID-19, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act implementation
  • Environment: water, air quality, extreme weather events, heat waves, flooding, climate change, resilience, pollution, natural resources, parks and open space
  • Regional economy: economic development, tax policy, local development incentives, industry clusters, economic innovation, workforce, disinvested communities, economic recovery from COVID-19
  • Other areas: equity, housing, local planning, land use, zoning, census data, public engagement, shared services


To connect with the right subject matter expert for your story, contact Jennie Vana. Please include your deadline.

Resources

About CMAP

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is northeastern Illinois' comprehensive planning organization. The agency and its partners developed and are implementing ON TO 2050, a long-range plan to help the seven counties and 284 communities of our region address transportation, equity, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues.

Our executive director

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. She began her career at CMAP before moving to the Illinois Department of Transportation, where she led the Office of Planning and Programming. In her current role, Aleman oversees an agency that employs more than 100 staff members who develop and implement recommendations in ON TO 2050.

Learn more about Erin.

Governance

The CMAP Board and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Committee share responsibilities defined in the Regional Planning Act and federal legislation.

Since its inception in October 2005, the CMAP Board has had balanced representation from across the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. The Board is responsible for developing and adopting a funding and implementation strategy for an integrated land use and transportation planning process, and the development of an integrated comprehensive regional plan.

The MPO Policy Committee is the decision-making body for all regional transportation plans and programs for this area. The committee plans, develops, and maintains an affordable, safe, and efficient transportation system for the region, providing the forum through which local decision makers develop regional plans and programs.

Learn more about CMAP’s structure.

Budget and work plan

CMAP has close to 110 employees across five major divisions. Funding to support the work of the agency comes from the Unified Work Program, which supports transportation planning in northeastern Illinois, with metropolitan funds from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. Other funding sources include the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and grants from The MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Housing Authority, and Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Learn more about CMAP's work plan and budget.

History

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.

Learn more about CMAP’s history.

Frequently asked questions

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 newsletters.

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.

To Top

Media kit

On this page, you’ll find information that may be useful when covering a story about the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) or our topic areas.

Please direct any media requests to Jennie Vana.

For the latest at CMAP:

Snapshot of our region. 7 counties. 284 communities. 77 chicago neighborhoods. 8.5 million residents. 29,980 miles of road. CMAP logo

How CMAP can help

Subject matter experts

CMAP has expertise in:

  • Transportation: regional transportation network, traffic safety, freight, public transit, walking and biking infrastructure, parking, transportation funding, regional patterns, accessibility, electric vehicles, supply chain, mobility recovery from COVID-19, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act implementation
  • Environment: water, air quality, extreme weather events, heat waves, flooding, climate change, resilience, pollution, natural resources, parks and open space
  • Regional economy: economic development, tax policy, local development incentives, industry clusters, economic innovation, workforce, disinvested communities, economic recovery from COVID-19
  • Other areas: equity, housing, local planning, land use, zoning, census data, public engagement, shared services


To connect with the right subject matter expert for your story, contact Jennie Vana. Please include your deadline.

Resources

About CMAP

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is northeastern Illinois' comprehensive planning organization. The agency and its partners developed and are implementing ON TO 2050, a long-range plan to help the seven counties and 284 communities of our region address transportation, equity, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues.

Our executive director

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. She began her career at CMAP before moving to the Illinois Department of Transportation, where she led the Office of Planning and Programming. In her current role, Aleman oversees an agency that employs more than 100 staff members who develop and implement recommendations in ON TO 2050.

Learn more about Erin.

Governance

The CMAP Board and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Committee share responsibilities defined in the Regional Planning Act and federal legislation.

Since its inception in October 2005, the CMAP Board has had balanced representation from across the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. The Board is responsible for developing and adopting a funding and implementation strategy for an integrated land use and transportation planning process, and the development of an integrated comprehensive regional plan.

The MPO Policy Committee is the decision-making body for all regional transportation plans and programs for this area. The committee plans, develops, and maintains an affordable, safe, and efficient transportation system for the region, providing the forum through which local decision makers develop regional plans and programs.

Learn more about CMAP’s structure.

Budget and work plan

CMAP has close to 110 employees across five major divisions. Funding to support the work of the agency comes from the Unified Work Program, which supports transportation planning in northeastern Illinois, with metropolitan funds from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. Other funding sources include the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and grants from The MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Housing Authority, and Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Learn more about CMAP's work plan and budget.

History

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.

Learn more about CMAP’s history.

Frequently asked questions

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 newsletters.

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.

To Top