Lend Your Voice to the Chicago Area Plan

Help imagine a more equitable, sustainable, and vibrant Chicago by lending your voice and vision to the City of Chicago’s Central Area Plan. Centering the perspectives and experiences of Chicago’s diverse constituencies, our partners at Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) are encouraging Chicagoans to take this short, 10-minute survey about Chicago’s downtown.

Learn More and Take the Survey

DPD’s Central Area Plan survey seeks residents’ inputs on past and future urban planning initiatives, such as the expansion of the Riverwalk, the launch of the Divvy bike share program, and the natural area development at Northerly Island, among others. The updated Central Area Plan builds on the efforts of We Will Chicago, part of the city’s twenty-year framework to correct historic inequities, enhance urban transportation, infrastructure, and housing, and champion Chicago arts and culture.

Central Area Plan Video

The Chicago River is quite literally central to our collective vision of a more just, more resilient, and more vibrant Chicago. Extending across the heart of downtown—the focus of the DPD’s seven-square-mile study area—the river reaches towards neighboring communities to the north and south. As the city deepens its commitment to reimaging the downtown district in the image and aspirations of our residents, Friends of the Chicago River remains steadfast in its advocacy for the responsible development of and equitable access to the river.

For more information about the Central Area Plan, consider watching the 14-minute recording of the February 21, 2023 virtual Central Area Plan Update Meeting.