CMAP and partners are hard at work on planning and implementation projects in Bronzeville, Chinatown, northwest Cook County, and Richmond.

Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area

CMAP is working with the Black Metropolis Heritage Area Commission on a National Park Service Management Plan for the newly designated Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area. The plan will develop themes that interpret the Great Migration to Chicago (1910 - 1970) and its impact on the nation, as well as develop a strategy to grow Black heritage tourism and related economic development in Bronzeville.

We need your input — please take our survey to help us to craft narratives that will educate, inspire, and better reach residents and visitors to Chicago. The plan is expected to be finished by the end of 2025.

NEXT Chinatown Implementation

The first phase of the NEXT Chinatown Implementation project — the creation of a bicycle and pedestrian memo — is now complete. This memo contains recommendations to guide key implementers, such as the Chicago Department of Transportation, the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, and 11th Ward Alderman Nicole Lee and her staff, in creating safer and more pleasant walking and biking conditions. The memo is due in great part to the involvement of many partners. Extensive community engagement and data-driven decision making helped to craft these safety recommendations, which will make Chinatown a safer place for all, no matter age or physical ability.

Northwest Cook County Transit Coordination study

The Northwest Cook County Transit Coordination Study will assess current transit services in the area and propose solutions for a more seamless, easy-to-use transit system where riders are more able to cross township and village boundaries. The project is currently undergoing extensive community engagement across the study area. Our first engagement event was a senior luncheon in the Village of Schaumburg, where CMAP staff and project consultants (SRF and Metro Strategies) distributed surveys to attendees.

Richmond Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan

CMAP is excited work with the Village of Richmond on a new bicycle and pedestrian plan. The plan will benefit residents and visitors alike. Work on the plan began in January of this year and is currently in the initial planning stages of researching existing conditions.

Mark your calendars to participate in the first community engagement event — Pedalpalooza — which is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, at 11:00 a.m.

Other next steps include ongoing stakeholder engagement and the existing conditions report, after which we'll ramp up work on the key plan recommendations. The plan is expected in spring 2025.

Additionally, members of the public are invited to share their insights to guide the plan's direction and recommendations, shaping a safer, more accessible community for cyclists and pedestrians. Visit the project website to provide public comment as well as to drop a pin on an interactive map to highlight opportunities for improvements.

Read about this and more in the planning newsletter.