History of Chicago’s Zoning Code
By Kristine Westerberg, Newcastle Limited

The Chicago Yacht Club provided a scenic backdrop for an overview of Chicago zoning issues on June 24, 2009.  Cindy Wozny-Carl, CREW Chicago president, introduced moderator Mary Jo Graf of DeStefano Partners, who presented speakers Professor Joseph Schwieterman of DePaul University and Alderman Brendan Reilly of Chicago’s 42nd Ward.  The speakers provided perspectives on Chicago’s zoning code and subsequent revisions, as well as an update on current development issues facing the City.  

Professor Schwieterman previously explored the City of Chicago’s code development as co-author of the 2007 book, “The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago.” He observed that zoning is basically “a game of trying to catch up with the changing world.” Chicago’s first building code was originally a response to local innovations in design and architecture.  The skyscrapers that began to transform Chicago’s skyline were originally limited to 260 feet until 1923, when a new ordinance allowed taller towers to be added to base buildings.  That zoning drove the design of such massive structures as the Civic Opera and Union Carbide buildings.

Professor Schwieterman noted that the 1957 revision to the City’s code was designed to support more intense development. Even as residents began to move in large numbers to the suburbs, Mayor Richard J. Daley proceeded to implement his vision of accommodating 1 million more people in Chicago.  He mobilized a range of resources to allow the transformation of downtown and key areas along the lakeshore.  City planning flexibility and federal funding helped real estate initiatives thrive during this era, but aldermen came under pressure to protect neighborhoods from over-development in the 1970s.  In response to citizen concerns, the City’s 2004 code revision ratcheted down development in some areas, while providing for increased mixed-use development downtown.  The recent code has given the City more control over development, even as it has posed challenges for developers trying to understand its complexities.  

Alderman Reilly then discussed his experiences in implementing the current zoning code.  He observed that the City’s success with downtown development has made it a model for other cities, but that it also presents a “juggling act” to preserve downtown’s role as “a place to get business done”.  He reviewed factors that can lead to successful outcomes in planned developments:  requiring private developer funds to address public infrastructure improvements, for example, and ensuring that the City responds to resident concerns about traffic and density.    

The Alderman reported that the City is currently exploring ways to deal with major, uncompleted development projects that affect the appearance of downtown.  Preparation for the possible impact of the Olympics and related infrastructure improvements is also underway.  These new projects, coupled with the realities of budget deficits, ensure that the City’s zoning code will always be in flux.