Central Area Plan Update
Central Area Plan Update
A 20-year vision for equitable downtown growth
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) initiated the Central Area Plan Update, a planning process to envision how the city's central area can better serve Chicago residents, workers and visitors.
The two-phase effort is starting with a series of conversations with a diverse set of key constituents. Public insight and feedback on topics such as housing, transportation, economic development and arts and culture will help create an updated vision for how downtown growth can serve all Chicagoans over the next 20 years.
Please join ongoing discussions and share ideas for updating the City's 2003 "Central Area Plan." Stakeholders are encouraged to reference the City's 2009 "Central Area Action Plan" and 2021 "Central City Recovery Roadmap" for information about the City's formal planning goals and accomplishments within the area. To stay updated on the process, sign up to receive email notifications.
The first phase of the Central Area Plan Update was completed in 2024. This portion of the planning effort involved extensive community engagement that included a kickoff webinar, an online survey, two open houses and multiple focus groups to seek public input on strategies and actions that will enable the city's Central Area to better serve residents, workers, visitors and businesses. More information on these outreach efforts, as well as a summary document detailing engagement findings, are available on the Reports and Engagement page.
The first phase resulted in the drafting of vision statements and priorities to guide the second phase of the Central Area Plan Update. The finalized statements will be used to develop formal implementation strategies and recommendations for the second phase. The first phase also included review of the area's existing conditions, which are detailed in the Existing Conditions and Trends Report published in May 2024.
The Goal
The goal of the Central Area Plan Update is to create an implementable vision that is informed by the past, rooted in equity and shaped by Chicagoans on behalf of the entire city.
The Context
The Process
The initial phase of the planning process involved engagement with community members, local leaders and elected officials to establish goals and objectives for the area. The first phase was completed in 2023. The second phase is currently underway and will define the steps needed to achieve that vision.
Map of Study Area: The Downtown "D" Zoning District
