Calumet Area Land Use Plan and Design Guidelines

The Calumet Area is located on the far south side of the city and includes the Calumet, Burnside, and Pullman Industrial Corridors along with Lake Calumet and the Illinois International Port District, portions of the Calumet and Little Calumet Rivers, and hundreds of acres of protected open space.

As part of a broader Industrial Corridor land use planning initiative, the Department of Planning and Development initiated a planning process in the spring of 2024 to evaluate the effectiveness of the of the Calumet, Burnside, and Pullman Industrial Corridors. This planning initiative will feature numerous opportunities for all interested parties to engage collaboratively along with the City to develop a land use plan and design guidelines that guide future growth in the Calumet Area.

For over 150 years, the Calumet Area has been home to some of Chicago’s major industries, from steel mills and auto manufacturing, to waste recycling and international shipping and trade. The area also boasts unique environmental assets, including Lake Calumet, the Calumet River, and hundreds of acres of marshes, wetlands, and forested areas.

Expanding on the success of the 2002 Calumet Area Land Use Plan and the 2004 Calumet Design Guidelines, this update will develop a vision for the next 10-20 years in Calumet that balances the City’s economic development, public health, and environmental sustainability goals. The updated Land Use Plan will identify appropriate future land uses for the three Industrial Corridors and other adjacent industrial or vacant properties. The updated Design Guidelines will incorporate the latest best practices in site design and landscaping, stormwater management, and sustainability.

 The Calumet Area Land Use Plan and Design Guidelines will build upon the City's previous industrial corridor planning efforts and reinforce the goals of strengthening Chicago's industrial corridors as economic engines and vital job centers, improving access for all transportation modes, and enhancing the area’s unique natural and built assets. The plan will also be guided by relevant goals of the 2023 Citywide Plan regarding equity and environmental justice.