The City of Evanston and the Northwest Municipal Conference are co-hosting a “GO TO 2040 Invent the Future” workshop on Aug. 20 from to at the Evanston Civic Center,

2100 Ridge Ave.

GO TO 2040 is the campaign to create a comprehensive long-range plan for metropolitan Chicago. The region includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties – an area with a population of over eight million people. It is anticipated that the population will grow by 2.8 million by 2040.

Due to be completed in 2010, the plan will extend through 2040 and beyond, and will identify the policies, strategies, and investments needed for northeastern Illinois to reach its potential. The plan will cover the region’s transportation system, land use, the natural environment, economic development, housing, and human services such as education, health care and other social services. 

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), created in 2005, is responsible for developing the plan, and as part of the process is gathering public input using web tools developed by CMAP and MetreQuest. It is also gathering public input at 50 workshops being held in the seven counties area. The workshop in Evanston is being held as part of the public input phase of the planning process.

CMAP says some of the “urgent decisions” that need to be made in the “very near future” are:

·          “Should rapid growth outward continue? Or should we consolidate housing and jobs where infrastructure already exists?”

·          “Should we emphasize roads or transit – or invest in both?”

·          “How can we reduce energy use while also strengthening our region’s economy?”

Attendees at the workshop may express preferences about different scenarios or options using interactive software and keypad polling. The input will be used by CMAP in developing the comprehensive plan.

As part of the process, CMAP plans to prepare strategy papers on a wide range of topics including arterial operations, bicycling, car-sharing, freight operations, highway operations, pedestrian facilities, public-private partnerships, public transportation, alternative fuels, land use, historic preservation, parking, teardowns, urban design, inclusionary zoning, energy conservation, green jobs, education, food policy, hunger, arts and culture, economic development, water supply, and many others.

 

Pre-registration for the Evanston workshop is appreciated, but not required. To register for the workshop, for special accommodations, of for more information, contact Joey-Lin Silberhorn at 312-386-8814 or at jsilberhorn@cmap.illinois.gov. See www. Goto2040.org for more details.