In May 2022, the City launched the Chicago Digital Equity Council (DEC), bringing together a cross-sector group of community members most burdened by the digital divide, and organizations committed to eliminating digital inequities, to close Chicago’s digital divide once and for all. From June-October 2022, the DEC hosted 17 community conversations and solution design workshops in the City’s least connected neighborhoods, reaching nearly 400 residents. Through this on-the-ground community engagement exercise, the DEC surfaced nuanced barriers to digital equity, identified work already happening within communities, and co-created community-driven recommendations for Chicago.

The DEC is excited to share the Chicago Digital Equity Plan, which summarizes our approach, findings, and recommendations to achieve digital equity in Chicago.

Now, the City formally launched the Chicago Digital Equity Coalition – an inclusive community for digital equity advocacy, resources, best practice sharing, and implementing the Digital Equity Plan.