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Toolkits and education

Zoning Guide

Zoning provides municipal-wide regulation and guidance to the community and to developers on the physical appearance of buildings and what types of activities are allowed in buildings.

Below you can find several strategies to design a zoning code that promotes transit usage and active transportation.

Two women sit on a bench at the Fox Lake Metra station.

How and why does the RTA support zoning code updates?

Through its Community Planning program, the RTA offers planning assistance to help municipalities envision a style of development near transit services, called Transit-Oriented Development (“TOD”), which frequently results in the need to make zoning code improvements and updates.

TOD supportive zoning promotes walkable communities, residential and employment density, and active lifestyles. These qualities increase transit usage, which helps the RTA plan for adequate, accessible, and equitable public transportation for the six counties of Northeastern Illinois.

The RTA supports municipalities’ code amendments, helping them identify code improvements that will allow the type and style of development envisioned in their plan.

For more information, check out our 2021 Transportation Tuesday webinar on zoning.

Should your municipality make substantial or incremental zoning code improvements, or both? It is up to you?

Quincy Station dense development with balconies outside each unit.

Substantial Improvements

One of the most effective and holistic methods to encourage TOD is through a complete revision of the zoning code. For example, the RTA supported the Village of Brookfield with a substantial code modernization effort.

Ask your community:

What is the intent of the change to the zoning code?
How will the zoning code be organized?

Make sure that you:

Provide maps of where the proposed changes apply.
Establish districts that delineate TOD opportunities.

View out the front window of a CTA bus of the Blue Line tracks and people waiting at the bus stop.

Incremental Improvements

Many municipalities take an incremental approach towards zoning code revisions by adding TOD elements to their existing zoning code. This has the benefit of being easier to enact, but municipalities need to ensure that the new elements do not conflict with existing zoning regulations. Some strategies include:

Creating an Overlay district (Village of Bartlett)
- Applies in addition to, not instead of, existing zoning code
- Important to have key subareas
- Regulate buildings, design process
Form-based code
- Design Guidelines (Village of Olympia Fields)
- Emphasizes street relationship, multiple approaches requiring building design to be attractive in all directions, proper scaling

What are the Components of TOD Zoning Codes?

Yard and Bulk

Design

Uses

Large, dense new housing development with "now leasing" signs behind a Metra train at the Wheeling station.

Uses

TOD zoning codes should also include what uses are and are not allowed, to promote transit-oriented streetscapes.

What should be permitted in a TOD environment?

Mixed-use developments

With the increase in e-commerce, think first before requiring the first floor to be retail. Provide developers flexibility by allowing the first-floor use to be undefined.

Multi-family housing

Townhouses
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): ADUs are independent housing units that share a single-family lot with a larger primary housing unit. They have their own kitchen, sleeping area, and bathroom. As a compact dwelling option, ADUs can be provided by converting part of an existing home (internal) or be a new construction or conversion of a detached structure (external). They are popular for those seeking small, affordable housing options.
- Allowed as attached or detached to the building
- Establish a size limit (900sf is typical maximum)
- Standardized designs can simplify the process for small property owners.
- Consider occupancy requirements (e.g., property owner lives on-site) to avoid absentee landlords or short-term rentals.

What uses should be excluded from a TOD environment?

Automobile uses in a TOD should be excluded or minimized wherever possible to emphasize the pedestrian- and transit-oriented environment. Too much vehicle access can create a dangerous and unpleasant walking environment for pedestrians.

This can be accomplished by prohibiting or limiting as a special use:

Automobile uses, such as gas stations, repair shops
Drive-thru businesses
Curb cuts

How Do Communities Incentivize TOD?

TOD zoning codes can include incentives for specific development types that promote an active transportation lifestyle and increase transit ridership. Here are a few examples:

Floor-Area Ratio (FAR) Increases

Permitted FAR can be increased in TOD areas. This allows greater usage of high demand lots, providing additional development space.

Parking Maximums

Low-vehicle-owning households and transit usage can be incentivized by limiting the required number of parking spaces in these districts. Read more in the TOD Guide on Parking.

Increased Density

TOD zoning can also relax minimum unit size requirements. This can permit additional units of different sizes that may not be reflected in current mark.