The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is leading development of GO TO 2040, the comprehensive regional plan that will guide growth in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties for the rest of this century.  In addition to land use and transportation, GO TO 2040 also addresses the full range of quality-of-life issues, including the natural environment, economic development, housing, and human services such as education, health care and other social services.  

In the first phase of CMAP's GO TO 2040 planning process, input from stakeholders across the region during 2007-08 helped define a Regional Vision. 

In partnership with the Burnham Centennial and the Chicago Community Trust , the GO TO 2040 campaign's "Invent the Future" phase in the summer of 2009 collected public input at 57 workshops across the region, on the web at www.goto2040.org, via multimedia kiosks at dozens of locations, and at community fairs and festivals. 

That input -- combined with extensive research into implementation strategies and regional indicators -- will result in a preferred "Regional Scenario" that the CMAP Board will vote on whether to approve in January 2010.  

To accommodate the additional 2.8 million residents expected by 2040, the comprehensive regional plan will recommend real-world public policies and investments -- including roads, transit, and other infrastructure -- that will guide development patterns through mid-century and beyond.

So tell us how you want metropolitan Chicago to grow.  Through GO TO 2040, CMAP encourages residents to have their say and help set the region's priorities.

Imagine that . . . you’ll work very near where you live.
Imagine that . . . you’ll spend less time getting from place to place.
Imagine that . . . our region will lead the world in developing and using green technologies.
Imagine that . . . your children and grandchildren will learn in excellent schools.
Imagine that . . . you’ll have plentiful and clean water for drinking and recreation.
Imagine that . . . you’ll feel safe no matter where you live or visit in the region.
Imagine that . . . you’ll have access to world-class parks and nature preserves.
Imagine that . . . our region can achieve and sustain prosperity for the generations to come.