Metropolitan Planning Council's "Grow Chicago" Initiative

September 10, 2015

Recently our friends over at the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), launched its "Grow Chicago" campaign. The campaign is designed to educate and advocate for greater transit-oriented development in Chicago's neighborhoods.



Some highlights:

• 
  
• Metropolitan Chicago grew by just 0.22 percent a year between 2010 and 2013, far outpaced by peer cities. While the Loop and select neighborhoods are growing, most places in the city—as distinct as Lincoln Park and Englewood—have lost population. Reversing this trend is critically important: More people will mean more home sales, construction jobs, local purchases, and tax revenue to support retail, city services and infrastructure.
  
• Living near reliable transit and using it saves people up to $10,000 each year on transportation costs compared to driving.
  
• Retailers in walkable communities near transit enjoy sales nearly 90 percent higher
  than their peers.
  
• Adults who regularly walk, bike and take transit have obesity rates three times lower than those who typically drive.
  
• Residential property values near rapid transit outperform those of others by 40 percent.
  

We are proud to partner with MPC on this important initiative. For more information on Grow Chicago, please visit the website: http://growchicago.metroplanning.org/