The Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) initiated public discussions in 2022 about potential enhancements to the 2017 Sustainable Development Policy (SDP) to incorporate contemporary information regarding best practices, technology improvements, municipal code updates, and City initiatives  Discussions and research that continued through 2023 included approximately 150 design professionals, developers, community groups, advocacy organizations, elected officials, attorneys, and nonprofit entities.  

Throughout the public engagement process, participants highlighted opportunities to modify or add strategies involving energy, health, transportation, workforce, green infrastructure, community benefits, wildlife, and stormwater issues in the SDP. Participants also made recommendations regarding values associated with specific strategies, the comparative points between strategies, and the values of the higher-tier certification programs, among other suggestions.  

The proposed update to the SDP was released for public comment on April 15, 2024 for a 30-day period. DPD staff provided an informational presentation about the policy to the Chicago Plan Commission on April 18, 2024.   

Several comments were received through a survey and by email.  Over 950 individuals completed the survey, with over 350 respondents providing more detailed comments about the policy draft. DPD also received over 70 emails from individuals and organizations.   

The comments received included recommendations regarding policy administration, requiring, modifying or deleting strategies, as well as general comments about support or opposition to the draft policy and questions about how strategies were developed.  Some of the input led to changes to the final policy, and many comments included ideas that will be documented and considered for future updates of the SDP.  Although DPD could not respond to each comment, the FAQ page provides responses to some of the comments and questions received during the process.