FAQs

In general, a neighborhood plan provides policy direction in the areas of land use, economic development, housing, mobility, sustainability, and building capacity and partnerships. Neighborhood plans recommend policies to help residents and stakeholders address identified challenges and opportunities. The Avondale Neighborhood Plan will address mobility and land use issues, and incorporate the regional ON TO 2050 principles of resiliency, inclusive growth, and prioritized investment.

The neighborhood plan is being developed by the Avondale Neighborhood Association (ANA) in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). The plan's development will also be guided by the project's Steering Committee, which was formed in fall 2021 and made up of residents and local stakeholders.

The Avondale Neighborhood Association is a 501-c3 non-profit, non-partisan organization with the mission of unifying the Avondale community by preserving history, embracing diversity, and connecting neighbors. To learn more about the organization, visit their webpage. 

The agency was established in 2005 with the mission to plan comprehensively for economic prosperity and quality of life.

CMAP and its partners developed and are now implementing ON TO 2050(External link), a new long-range plan to help the seven counties and 284 communities of northeastern Illinois implement strategies that address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues. To learn more about CMAP, visit www.cmap.illinois.gov

CMAP fulfills its mission of planning comprehensively for the region by conducting long-range planning (see ON TO 2050) and providing planning services to local governments with decision-making authority, among other activities. In 2010, CMAP started the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program to provide technical planning assistance to communities. In 2019, the Avondale Neighborhood Association (ANA) submitted an application to the LTA program seeking CMAP’s assistance to develop a neighborhood plan for Avondale. The project was initiated in October 2021 when CMAP staff began working with the Avondale Neighborhood Association to develop the planning process and form the Plan’s Steering Committee. CMAP staff will continue to assist the Avondale Neighborhood Association to develop a neighborhood plan for Avondale.

The Planning process consists of five phases to be completed over 24 months with guidance from a project steering committee made up of stakeholders in the community. The first and second phases included initial meetings and extensive public outreach to ensure that a broad spectrum of the community is engaged in the project. The second phase also included a thorough analysis of the existing conditions within the community using information gathered from the outreach process and analysis of past plans, studies, and various data sources. The third phase focused on establishing a shared vision for the community, creating strategies to implement that vision, and developing the plan document. The final phase involves the implementation of plan strategies.

Stakeholder and public involvement will be an important aspect of the plan’s development. A Steering Committee, consisting of public and private sector representatives, will be convened to assist in the Neighborhood Plan development. Outreach to additional stakeholders and the community-at-large will be conducted throughout the development of the plan through a public survey, interviews and open houses.  

The planning area for the Avondale Neighborhood plan was defined by the Avondale Chicago Community Area (CCA). A map of the study area can be found in the main page under project description.