Explore Environmental Maps of Chicago
Explore Land Use Maps that depict additional factors that can contribute to the environmental impact within an entire area from pollution type, accessibility, wild flora/fauna/human health, biome long-term sustainability, and air/soil/water quality. View how Land Use Plans, like Industrial Corridor Modernization Plans, redlining, and deeming a community a working class can affect on an entire city. Take the time to read prompts to explore how these land maps impact you and others in your everyday lives.
Learn about Chicago's current 4 Industrial modernization plans and what they mean for certain neighborhoods and their surrounding communities.
What are Industrial Corridors?
"Chicago’s 24 Industrial Corridors, comprising about 12 percent of city land, have boundaries that generally align with railroad embankments, waterways, highways, arterial streets and other manmade and natural buffers that effectively separate interior industrial uses from adjacent residential and commercial activity...It was only in the 1990s, recognizing their importance to the city’s economy, that the City of Chicago designated them as “Industrial Corridors” in order to provide protection and incentives for industrial companies"
no.13
"Consisting of 760 acres along the Chicago River, the North Branch is the first area in the corridor system to undergo a comprehensive planning process for modern land use needs and demands. The review is required due to ongoing corridor issues involving transitioning land, under-performing and vacant land, market demand for new uses that are currently prohibited, and a Chicago zoning code requirement to periodically assess the effectiveness of the city’s Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs). The North Branch currently has four PMDs consisting of more than 620 acres, including the city’s first PMD, designated in 1988. PMDs prohibit residential and certain commercial uses as a means of protecting large manufacturers and other industrial users from land use conflicts with nonindustrial neighbors...The overarching goal is to enhance employment and the tax base in the North Branch while providing new resources for a healthy, citywide corridor system."
Adjacent to a little over 4.5 miles of the South Branch of The Chicago River, the Little Village "Framework sets a vision for future industrial development to implement sustainable best practices, which will ultimately address issues such as air and water quality. These strategies include the implementation of onsite renewable energy, increased landscaping and encouraging the use of alternative fuel vehicles for industrial operations. DPD, along with CDPH, is working toward updating and modifying tools that it has readily available to regulate new industrial development within the corridor. The Framework defines sustainability as the intersection between economic, environmental and societal considerations. The Framework attempts to provide strategies that reflect this intersection and address health and environmental impacts of development through the lens of sustainability...participation by community stakeholders was critical to the framework planning process. Initiated in April 2018, public engagement included input by more than 100 individuals over the course of six community meetings, three working group meetings and numerous individual meetings. The offices of Aldermen George Cardenas, Alderman Edward Burke, Alderman Ricardo Munoz, and Alderman Danny Solis were also involved in the process."
DPD is accepting public comment on the framework at DPD@cityofchicago.org
no.12
"The Kinzie Framework plan contains information on employment trends and land use changes within the portion of the Kinzie Industrial Corridor located west of Ogden Avenue to help guide City policies and ongoing private investment. Based on this data, the Framework also includes proposed zoning changes that seek to reinforce the corridor’s viability for industrial and other business operations. Its adoption by the Plan Commission provides guidance for public- and private-sector decision-making involving corridor development activity....For more than five years, the City has been engaging with the community on the future of the Kinzie Industrial Corridor through a number of different planning exercises. While developing this framework, the City hosted two community meetings in 2018 that were attended by approximately 200 people. A total of 26 companies were also interviewed as part of the process. The City notified approximately 500 community members that the draft framework was posted more than five weeks prior to the May meeting of the Chicago Plan Commission, and DPD received about 20 formal comments from members of the public. Additional community engagement efforts will be conducted by DPD before City Council considers any ordinance to implement the framework’s recommendations."
Please email dpd@cityofchicago.org if you have questions or if you wish to be kept apprised of the City's progress with implementing the plan.
no.10
no.19
"The Ravenswood Industrial Corridor (RIC) is part of the initial group of corridors, with the North Branch being the fi rst, to undergo a comprehensive planning process for modern land use needs and demands. Consisting of 129 acres along the Union Pacifi c North rail line, the RIC has been prioritized by city planners due to transitioning land uses within the industrial corridor, particularly the southern portion between Irving Park Road and Lawrence Avenue. Overall, employment within the RIC has remained stable. However, there has been a shift in job types: the number of manufacturing jobs has declined, while office jobs have increased... The Framework Plan provides strategies to guide the efficient use of these unique areas within the right-of-way ("Right of way" means legal pathway of a pedestrian, vehicle, or ship) and encourages sustainable development practices including stormwater management and solar power...Additionally, many industrial buildings within the southern portion of the RIC display distinctive architectural characteristics, which are recognized as an asset and contribute to the authentic industrial heritage of the area...The participation by community stakeholders was critical to the framework planning process. In early 2018, DPD formed a working group which included 21 representatives from local business and community groups. Public engagement for the development of the Framework Plan included three Working Group activities, two interactive surveys, two public meetings, and information posted on DPD’s website. More than 190 individuals participated in these various events. The offi ces of Aldermen Ameya Pawar (47th) and Alderman Patrick O’Connor (40th) also participated in this planning process. The project team consisting of representatives from DPD and CDOT acknowledges the thoughtful participation of the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, Metra, CTA and RTA. More details about the public engagement activities for this planning process are described in the Appendix."