To coincide with the Burnham Centennial, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's GO TO 2040 campaign has entered an important new phase called "Invent the Future." Web tools developed by CMAP and MetroQuest (sponsored in part by The Chicago Community Trust) let you create your own future scenarios -- and even mail them to friends and post them at sites like Facebook -- to tell us how you want metropolitan Chicago to plan for the additional 2.8 million residents expected by 2040. Or attend one of 50 “Invent the Future” GO TO 2040 scenario workshops that CMAP is holding with partners across the seven counties. (To find one near you, see our Google map with directions to workshops scheduled to date.)
Among the other ways for you to have your say:
- Test-drive an interactive GO TO 2040 kiosk at dozens of locations, including Millennium Park, Metra stations, libraries, festivals, and other sites around the region.
- Give your input to CMAP staff at fairs and festivals across the region this summer.
- Look for the new GO TO 2040 poster series, and check back at www.goto2040.org as we'll be giving away collectible sets.
- To dig really deep, be watching for the detailed "Scenarios Examined" pages, where you can read and comment at length on CMAP's sample scenarios.
Our seven-county region needs to make some critical decisions over the next several years. We can’t solve everything at once, so it’s all about trade-offs.
Should rapid growth outward continue? Or should we consolidate housing and jobs where infrastructure already exists?
Should we emphasize roads or transit — or invest in both?
How can we reduce energy use while also strengthening our region’s economy?
In fall 2009, your input will help CMAP develop a preferred scenario that will best reflect the region's desired future. Real-world public policies and investments -- including roads, transit, and other infrastructure -- will be the result when our GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan is finalized in 2010.