NGA Center for Best Practices:Policy Academy on Land Use and Transportation Planning

State of Illinois TeamLynne Padovan—Governor’s Office

Randy Blankenhorn—IDOT

Susan Stitt—IDOT

Deanna Glosser—IDNR

Presentation Themes

• VISION STATEMENT

• REALITY ASSESSMENT

• PRIORITY

Vision Statement

• Through a better understanding of the relationship between transportation and land use, the state will invest in transportation projects in ways that will help build strong communities.

Illinois Tomorrow’s Core Principles

• Reducing traffic congestion

• Preservation of open space

• Reinvestment and redevelopment

• Quality of life• Local government

partnerships

REALITY ASSESSMENTIllinois’ Response to Growth

• Private Efforts—Campaign for Sensible Growth, Chicago Metropolis 2020

• Illinois Legislative Growth Task Force

• Governor Ryan’s Balanced Growth Cabinet—Illinois Tomorrow

An “action-oriented coalition” of government, civic, & business leaders with three primary goals:

• Strengthen the economic competitiveness of the Chicago region through smarter use of infrastructure investment and incentives

• Revitalize and support existing communities • Promote new development, which is more

walkable, transit-friendly and preserves natural resources in newly developing areas

• The Commercial Club of Chicago is a membership organization of leading area business and civic leaders.

• In 1996, the group undertook the Metropolis Project, an effort to ensure the preeminence of the Chicago Metropolitan Region in the 21st century.

• The key issues they believe must be addressed regionally are:– unlimited, low density sprawl;– concentration of poor minorities;– the spatial mismatch between jobs, affordable housing and

transportation; and – disparate degrees of access to quality education.

• The Metropolis Plan

Key Recommendations from the Land Use and Transportation Task Force Working Group

(Illinois Task Force: http://dnr.state.il.us/OREP/NRRC/IGTF/index.htm)

• Make state investments consistent with state, regional, and local balanced growth policies

• Provide municipal governments with better tools for managing growth

• Grant counties & municipal governments the authority to engage in more effective intergovernmental planning.

• Promote effective regional planning

Existing Balanced Growth Programs from Illinois Tomorrow

• IDOT’s Corridor Planning Grant Program• IDOT’s Corridor Planning Councils• Future Landscape Project (Balanced Growth

Cabinet, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana)

• DCCA’s Economic Development Assessment• IEPA’s Green Communities Demonstration

Program

SWOT Assessment• Strengths

– IDOT funding for Balanced Growth– U of I LEAM Team– Governor Ryan’s Balanced Growth Cabinet

• Weaknesses– # of local governments– Local reliance & competition for property and sales tax revenues

• Opportunities– A chance to consider new ideas as we elect a new governor &

legislature– Balanced growth is a priority for both gubernatorial candidates

• Threats– Current budget crisis– inability to reach consensus

IDOT’s Corridor Planning Grant Program

• Goals– Promote land use and transportation options to reduce the

growth of traffic congestion

– Connect infrastructure and development decisions

– Promote balanced economic development to reduce infrastructure costs

– Promote intergovernmental cooperation

• Examples– Corridor Redevelopment Strategies

– Transit-Oriented Development Studies

– Streetscape Improvement Plans

– Public official Education Programs

– Bicycle & Pedestrian System Plans

IDOT’s Corridor Planning Grant Program

http://www.dot.state.il.us/corridorplanning/corridor.html

• a five-year, $15 million grant program for local governments in urbanized areas

• supports planning activities that promote the integration of land use, transportation and infrastructure facility planning in transportation corridors in Illinois

• Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate effective integration of land use plans, development decisions and infrastructure investments

Future Landscape Project(http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/nrrc/balancedgrowth/)

• This project provides local stakeholders the technical assistance, forum, and tools for assessing complex regional growth issues.

• Offers regional stakeholders the opportunity to evaluate urban growth patterns and consider if that is consistent with the needs and wants of the local residents.

• Pilot Project in Peoria-Pekin MSA – Will it play in Peoria?• Four step process

– Assess the drivers of growth– Develop Map of Past and Expected Growth– Develop the Land use Evaluation and impact Assessment Model

(LEAM) for the region– Ensure that dialogue continues among interested parties

Land Use & Transportation Issues

• Diverse land-use issues across the state

• Dramatic increases in urbanized land– Impacts on natural &

agricultural lands– Fiscal impacts (i.e.

infrastructure demands)

• Built Highway System• Need for 3rd Airport• Freight Congestion

What we want to accomplish

• NGA’s critique of Illinois’ current balanced growth initiative

• Evaluate the approach & effectiveness of corridor planning councils & grant program (are we helping locals make better communities?)

• Identify measures to gauge the effectiveness of capital investments in the transportation system and its impacts on communities

• Develop a strategic action plan for the next administration – focusing on the four key recommendations from the Working Group