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

1. NGA Center for Best Practices:Policy Academy on Land Use and Transportation Planning State of Illinois Team Lynne Padovan—Governor’s Office Randy Blankenhorn—IDOT Susan Stitt—IDOT Deanna Glosser—IDNR

2. Presentation Themes • VISION STATEMENT • REALITY ASSESSMENT • PRIORITY

3. 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.

4. Illinois Tomorrow’s Core Principles • Reducing traffic congestion • Preservation of open space • Reinvestment and redevelopment • Quality of life • Local government partnerships

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. IDOT’s Corridor Planning Grant Programhttp://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

13. 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

15. 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 Land Use & Transportation Issues

16. 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