by Sean Glowacz
7/1/09

Thirty-two people came out to the Crystal Lake City Hall on Thursday, June 25th to participate in an Invent the Future workshop with CMAP.

We began the workshop by asking participants to think about how they would like to see the region in 2040. What aspects of the region are they displeased with? What changes need to be made to help create a more ideal future? One participant expressed their desire to have local governments “help create a mix of proximate land uses so people can live, work, shop and play in a bikeable area.”

We discussed how the region might be affected by the estimated 2.8 million new residents that will be living in our region by 2040. What changes do we need to make to better accommodate this anticipated growth? Some participants mentioned that they would like to see future growth take place as part of infill development efforts. One of the central aspects of the GO TO 2040 campaign has been identifying potential infill opportunities throughout the region, so much so that one of the very first snapshot reports CMAP produced was a Infill Snapshot (opens 1.4MB PDF). CMAP has also been researching a variety of land use strategies that can be used throughout the region.

If you’d like to see the unique scenario participants created in Crystal Lake, click here.

To register to participate in a free Invent the Future workshop near you, simply visit our workshops page.

by Sean Glowacz
6/30/09

Twenty-six people came out to the Naperville City Hall on Wednesday, June 24th to participate in an Invent the Future workshop with CMAP.

To begin the workshop, we asked participants to share how envision the region in 2040. What changes would they make to help create a better future for us all? One participant articulated a desire to see increased public transit service, especially expanded bus service. “If buses ran more often and to a wider range of locations, then more people would choose transit over.”

We discussed different development strategies that should be considered to better handle the estimated 2.8 million new residents that will be in the region by 2040. How will this influx of people impact our land, natural resources and infrastructure systems? One idea that was mentioned was that new development should be more sensitive to the surrounding environment. CMAP has been looking into how implementing conservation design can help maintain and preserve the environmental integrity of a site.

If you’d like to see the unique scenario participants created in Naperville, click here.

To register to participate in a free Invent the Future workshop near you, simply visit our workshops page.  

by Sean Glowacz
6/29/09

CMAP held an Invent the Future workshop on Tuesday, June 23rd at the DuPage County Government Center Auditorium in Wheaton.

We began the workshop by asking people to imagine what 2040 should look like. One participant wrote that in 2040 they want to see “Equality of opportunity (jobs, housing, education) for everyone in the region.”

We discussed how the region might be affected by the estimated 2.8 million new residents that will be living in our region by 2040. What changes do we need to make to better accommodate this anticipated growth? One of the major points of discussion that arose was a desire for better stormwater management. Participants felt that greater strides needed to be taken to improve the condition of stormwater management in our region to improve the quality of life for not only future residents, but current residents as well. CMAP has been exploring Stormwater Best Management Practices as part of our endeavor to create a better region in 2040.

If you’d like to see the unique scenario participants created in Wheaton, click here.

To register to participate in a free Invent the Future workshop near you, simply visit our workshops page.

by Ylda Capriccioso
6/26/09

Hey what’s the best thing about summer in metropolitan Chicago?

Neighborhood fairs and festivals! We love the funnel cakes, brats, pizza, elephant ears, face painting and the rides just as much as you do, so CMAP decided why get some fun in the sun and talk to residents about GO TO 2040 at some of our favorite neighborhood festivals.

While filling up on those carb-filled goodies we are talking to residents about how we should plan for the next 30 years. With a booth, tent and tables, we are asking critical questions and spreading the word about GO TO 2040.org. All the feedback we receive will help us develop better recommendations for the GO TO 2040 Regional Comprehensive Plan.

So what are people telling us? Well, first we ask them two critical questions about land use and transportation.

“For the next 30 years, how would you plan for new development?”

Residents get to select from three options––Unfocused, Community Focus, or Metropolitan Focus.

• Unfocused means placing new development, like buildings, malls, schools, houses, and the like in places where there is available land, regardless of location, resources, and cost.
• Community Focus means placing new development in medium to smaller communities in the region where there is a consideration for existing resources and assets.
• Metropolitan Focus means concentrating new development in larger cities in our region, like Joliet, Elgin, Waukegan, or Chicago.

“For the next 30 years, how would you plan for more trips?”

Again, residents get to select from three options––Automobile Focus, Transit Focus, or Combined Focus.

• Automobile Focus means investing in new roads and highways and providing more parking to accommodate more cars.
• Transit Focus means investing our resources in enhancing, expanding, and improving our existing transit system, like Pace, Metra, and CTA.
• Combined Focus means investing our resources in both cars and transit, while considering alternative transportation options like walking and bicycling.
  

So, who are we talking to? Well, recently, we were out at Memorial Park in Matteson (pron: Mat-te-son, three syllables) for their annual summer festival. Even in the rain folks know how to have a great time with a talent show, pie and cookie contests, pony rides, and good music.

On a sunny and warm Saturday morning in June we trekked out to Villa Park, for their annual SummerFest. This suburban fest is located right along the Illinois Prairie Path, a regional trail. While setting up we got to see how many residents take advantage of the trail and path, with bikers, young and small, runners and more. The coolest thing about the VP Fest was the mini skate park. In 2007 the Villa Park Villa Park Skatepark Committee was created to help raise awareness and money to help build the park. The cost of the park is about $100,000 and the village agreed to match the fundraising dollar-for-dollar to build the park.

And today on this super-awesome weather Friday, CMAP will be hanging out with residents in Downers Grove at the Heritage Festival.

Next stop: Kane County Fair - July 15-19. For more information, check out our On the Road page.
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by Sean Glowacz
6/25/09

Almost thirty people came out to the Washington Township Center in Beecher on Tuesday, June 23rd to participate in an Invent the Future workshop with CMAP.

Participants were asked to share how they thought the region could best accommodate the predicted 2.8 million new residents that will reside here by 2040. The crowd took part in a lively discussion, covering a wide range of topics including how Beecher fits into the larger regional context, how transportation systems can be expanded to fit the growing needs of the community, and how land use decisions can be made to accommodate the needs of the local populous without infringing on the comfort of their neighbors.

As part of the workshop, attendees were asked to break out into small groups and come to a consensus as to which particular issue was of the most importance to them. One of the issues that emerged through these discussions was a desire for better regional water conservation. As part of the GO TO 2040 process, CMAP has been evaluating a variety of strategies to tackle the many issues that our region faces. You can check out  the Best Management Practices identified for water conservation.

If you’d like to see the unique scenario participants created in Beecher, click here.

To register to participate in a free Invent the Future workshop near you, simply visit our workshops page.