Washington, D.C. -- With northeastern Illinois expected to grow by 1.9 million people over the next 25 years, a new vision -- one that will accommodate this anticipated growth in an efficient, coordinated and sustainable manner -- is guiding decision making around the region. This vision is a key component of the 2040 Regional Framework Plan, recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Planning Award for a Plan from the American Planning Association (APA).

"The innovative use of technology and broad community outreach ensure that this plan will be a guiding light for those making land use and public policy decisions in the southeastern Wisconsin, northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana metropolitan area," said Carol Rhea, AICP, chair of the APA awards committee. "This framework not only recognizes the importance of local planning, but the role that local residents and elected officials play in carrying out the vision," she said.

Developed by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), the 2040 Plan will be recognized at APA?s National Planning Conference during a luncheon ceremony on April 25 in San Antonio, Texas. In addition, a 30-minute video about all of APA?s 2006 National Planning Awards recipients will be shown at the luncheon. Accomplishments of the awardees will be highlighted in the March 2006 issue of Planning magazine and on the APA website (www.planning.org).

The 2040 Plan covers a six-county area around southern shores of Lake Michigan in three states. As its work on the plan started, NIPC realized that a new approach was needed if it was to effectively engage the region in seeking solutions to current and emerging challenges. The commission instituted a program called "Common Ground" to pursue a community-based approach to regional planning.

State-of-the-art decision-support technology was used at each of Common Ground's 200 workshops and meetings to involve participants in meaningful discussion and to support consensus-based decision making.

Building upon its existing geographic information system, NIPC and consultants at Criterion developed ?Paint the Region,? an innovative planning tool that allowed participants to map their desired future for the region. Working in small groups, participants painted areas where they wanted to see concentrations of development, the transportation links needed to connect them, and the natural and open areas that should be preserved.

A series of land-use modeling exercises illustrated the implications of future growth -- with and without planning intervention. Snapshots of urban design prototypes were incorporated into the tool to better help the thousands of hands-on participants visualize possible scenarios for the region?s future.

"The 2040 Plan describes 17 implementation strategies that require close partnership at the regional and local levels," said NIPC executive director Ron Thomas, AICP. "They include steps toward achieving a balance between jobs and housing, promoting alternative modes of travel such as walking and biking, sustaining the water supply from Lake Michigan and other sources, preserving farmland and other strategies. We are actively engaging the region's communities during this new implementation phase, building on Common Ground's public-involvement successes that were central to development of the plan."

The 2040 Plan includes 52 goals that were identified by participants and covered a range of issues. The 17 implementation strategies -- based on NIPC partnerships with state, county and local governments, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders -- correspond to important planning principles including provisions for affordable housing, social diversity and inclusiveness, redevelopment, building reuse, and infill development. Integration of local and regional plans and policies into the framework plan is crucial to the regional plan's success.

The plan has been distributed in multiple formats, including a highly interactive CD produced with consulting help from HNTB, the commission's planning partner.

The APA National Awards for Planning are part of a proud tradition established more than 50 years ago. The awards program recognizes outstanding community plans, planning programs and initiatives, public education efforts, and individuals for their leadership on planning issues.

About the APA
The American Planning Association and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning -- physical, economic and social -- so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. Members of APA help create communities of lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Ill., and Shanghai, China. For more information, visit its website at www.planning.org.

About NIPC
The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) was created in 1957 by the Illinois General Assembly as the region?s comprehensive land-use planning agency. The legislation authorizes NIPC to conduct research for planning -- including official forecasts of population, employment, and other socio-economic indicators -- to advise units of local government on their plans and policies, and to provide general comprehensive plans and policies for use by local governments. NIPC's role was reaffirmed in 2000 by an Interagency Agreement with the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS), the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The agreement stipulates that NIPC's plans and data are the basis for the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) that guides critical decisions and investments of federal transportation funding. For more, see www.nipc.org.