BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK A View of Economic Activity

northeastern planning commission The future of northeastern Illinois, which will grow by more than 1.7 million EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE residents over the next 28 years, will be shaped by many thousands of Herbert T. Schumann Jr. individual choices about where to live, work, and do business. These President personal decisions will impact each other as residents seek to move close Rita R. Athas to jobs, and businesses close to their suppliers, workers, and customers. Vice President The future will be influenced by decisions about investment and regulation by the region’s 1200 local governments and state and federal agencies. Michael K. Smith Secretary Will these public and private choices reinforce or undermine each other? Edward W. Paesel Will the decisions move us toward the future we want? Ensuring that they Tr e a s u r e r do is the essence of NIPC’s comprehensive planning program, entitled Alan L. Bennett Common Ground: A Blueprint for Regional Action.The Commission’s broad Vice President for Planning goal in undertaking Common Ground is to help the region develop a James C. Berg shared vision for its future, identify common issues and concerns, and Vice President for Water Resources make mutual commitments to address them. Jerry Butler Past Commission President Increased public understanding of and involvement in the regional Charlie A. Thurston planning process is critical to the success of Common Ground.This Past Commission President series of publications, Building a Regional Framework,is designed to educate the public about particular issues and spark greater public input Ronald L. Thomas Executive Director into the regional planning process.

Other publications in this series have assessed particular policy tools COMMISSIONERS needed to accomplish the goals of Common Ground.This report, "A View Appointed by the Governor of Illinois of Economic Activity in Northeastern Illinois," describes the transformation James C. Berg of the region’s economy during the past several decades. It discusses the Joseph F. Ligas challenges facing us in the rising global economy, and asserts that a strong Edward W. Paesel link exists between regional economic vitality and good quality of life for all Charlie A. Thurston communities in northeastern Illinois. Appointment Pending

The Building a Regional Framework series is just one step in NIPC’s effort Appointed by the Mayor of to spur public participation. In the coming months, we will continue to Miguel d”Escoto sponsor public forums and workshops to provide greater public involvement Commissioner, Department of Transportation in determining a vision for our shared future. We look forward to your reaction to the ideas presented in these publications and your participation Rita R. Athas in our new, community-based planning process. Director of Regional Programs Patrick J. Levar Alderman, 45th Ward, Chicago Ed H. Smith Alderman, 28th Ward, Chicago Mary Ann Smith Ronald L. Thomas Herbert T. Schumann Jr. Alderman, 48th Ward, Chicago Executive Director President Contents

Elected by the Assembly of Mayors Alan L. Bennett,Trustee, Village of Elmwood Park Richard A. Clark,Trustee, 2 Village of Lakewood Our Region’s Diverse Economy Kyle R. Hastings,President, Village of Orland Hills 5 Global Economy and the Regional Al Larson,President,Village of Schaumburg Economy Mark Ruby,Mayor,Village of North Aurora Rae Rupp Srch,President, Village of Villa Park 6 Subregions and Economic Areas Peter M. Sexton,Clerk, Village of Lake Bluff Michael K. Smith,President, 9 How Economics and Community Village of New Lenox Life Converge Appointed by the County Board Chairmen Jerry Butler, Member, 10 Roles for Regional Groups Cook County Board of Commissioners Herbert T. Schumann Jr., Member, 13 Resources and Acknowledgments Cook County Board of Commissioners Appointment Pending, Member, Cook County Board of Commissioners

James D. Healy, Member, DuPage County Board Don Wolfe, Member, Kane County Board ABOUT THE NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS Diana O’Kelly, Member, PLANNING COMMISSION Lake County Board NIPC was created by the state legislature in 1957 to lead comprehensive Ann Gilman, Member, planning for the northeastern part of Illinois. NIPC is committed to McHenry County Board finding regional consensus on policies and plans that promote the sound Terri A. Wintermute, Member, and orderly development of northeastern Illinois. It serves the local Will County Board governments and citizens of the region by providing information, fostering regional cooperation in the comprehensive planning process, Appointed by the Board of the Regional Tr ansp or t ation Authority developing policies on evolving areawide issues, and seeking maximum Dwight A. Magalis local participation in its deliberations. Appointed by the Board of the Chicago Tr ansit Authorit y Appointment Pending Appointed by the Board of Metra Lowell Anderson Appointed by the Board of Pace Cheryal Callahan Appointed by the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Patricia Young Appointed by the Board of the Illinois Association of Park Districts September 2002 Judy Beck Appointed by the Board of the This report was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation through a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation; by the State of Illinois through Gerald Sullivan a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; and by Appointed by the Board of the Illinois voluntary contributions from local governments in northeastern Illinois. Association of Wastewater Agencies Wallace D. VanBuren

northeastern illinois planning commission 1 Our Region’s Diverse Economy

“Here I am living in a regional economy, when I thought I just lived in Des Plaines!”

Even if our daily lives are centered in a neighborhood or , all of us participate in a regional economy.

A family may patronize the local shops on The economy of northeastern Illinois is large Main Street where they can purchase mer- and diverse, well able to compete in the global chandise that was made in Illinois,in another economy. The larger nine-county region is the state, or across the ocean. At the grocery third largest regional economy in the United store, shoppers can buy peaches from States. If U.S. metropolitan areas were nations, Michigan or kiwi from New Zealand. A family then metropolitan Chicago's economy would wage-earner may work close to home in a rank as the 18 th larges t in the world, according nearby factory, but his or her paycheck is a to a recent report for the U.S. Conference of result of the factory’s profits from selling its Mayors.The nine-county area's production of products all over the world. The children $348.6 billion in goods and services in 2001 attend the public school down the street, but placed it larger even than the economies of the school employs teachers who commute Ta i w a n a n d Russia. .1 from different . How are we to understand this huge regional The grocery store, the factory and the school economy? Metropolitan areas serve as are centers of economic activity, creating clusters for production of goods and services, wealth through the production, distribution and and northeastern Illinois is very diverse in use of goods and services. These activities productive activity. Many industries have high cross the jurisdictional, geographic and cultural concentrations of employment and capital borders of northeastern Illinois. investment here.These specializations show where the region enjoys advantages in trade The economic area of northeastern Illinois with other regions throughout the world. encompasses many communities and extends beyond jurisdictional lines. It is linked through Northeastern Illinois is an important service the firms and households that supply and center for firms in the greater Midwest region purchase goods and services from each and the area is a major center other. These links include: for national markets. While the immediate flow ➣ a metropolitan-wide job market that of trade is largely concentrated in Illinois, creates flows of workers crossing many significant trade also occurs outside Illinois jurisdictional lines. with approximately: ➣ ➣ dense employment areas that attract 60% of the area’s goods and services businesses, commerce and shopping. consumed in Illinois, ➣ ➣ connections through roads and rails, 30% exported to other states, and telecommunications bands, and a local ➣ 10% exported overseas. media market that shapes common This vast economic region is not bounded by perspectives. any single political jurisdiction, but rather it Ta k e n t o gether, these features create a extends and flows far beyond them.2 powerful regional economy that is the underlying source of wealth for the residents 1 The nine counties include the NIPC planning area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties), and Kendall, of northeastern Illinois. DeKalb, and Grundy counties. 2 We shall consider the six-county NIPC planning area for purposes of this report, giving an overview of the communities and industries that make up the regional economy of the area. In actuality, the region’s market extends beyond these boundaries and into Indiana and Wisconsin and the entire Midwest.

2 BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK: A VIEW OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY The economy is strongly tied to the traditional Ta b l e 1 Major Industries in Northeastern Illinois as Measured by mainstays of material goods production, Employment (1998) distribution and producer services.

INDUSTRY NUMBERS EMPLOYED Manufacturing Sector: Food Manufacturing 52,790 Printing 40,282 Chemicals 42,409 These sectors continue to grow, adding work, creating new firms, and adapting Plastics and Rubber 45,061 new technologies. They send products to other markets and bring earnings Fabricated Metals 89,398 into the regional economy, fueling its growth. Machinery 57,710 Computers and Electronics 59,275 Ta b l e 1 s hows northeastern Illinois industries that employ workers in propor- Miscellaneous Manufacturing 28,452 tions well above national averages. They export goods and services across the country and the world. These exceptional industries show the great size Transportation Sector: Distribution and Infrastructure and breadth of the region’s economy. Wholesale Trade, durables 167,230 Manufacturing Wholesale Trade, nondurables 101,780 Air Transportation43,082Manufacturing remains a very large part of the economy here, with large Producer Services, Information clusters of industries. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports and Finance Sector that some 15,000 manufacturing firms employ about 600,000 people in north- Publishing Industries 37,285 eastern Illinois. Small and medium-sized firms (up to 500 employees), many of Finance and 260,931 them family operations, make up the bulk of the region’s manufacturing sector. Professional, Scientific While many of the region’s high-paying manufacturing jobs were lost during and Technical Services 306,303 the past two decades, the area still holds a slightly higher percentage of Administrative and manufacturing workers today than does the U.S. as a whole. Even while Support Services 344,707 manufacturing employment has been stable since 1992, manufacturing High Technology Industries productivity has steadily risen. Communications Equipment Because competition from overseas is strong, modernization in this sector and Manufacturing 32,625 the adoption of new technologies must continually occur if the manufacturing Electronic Equipment Manufacturing 10,547 sector is to continue to gain new investment in northeastern Illinois. Software Publishers 10,751 Transportation Computer Systems Design and Related Services 55,631 The strong presence of transportation employment here goes back to the days when Chicago became a major center for distribution of raw materials and finished goods. The high employment in the transportation sector shows Source: County Business Patterns, 2000 that the region’s central position in freight movement continues, which helps the region to remain a big center for manufacturing as well.

northeastern illinois planning commission 3 Banking Services The services sectors have grown even as employment in the manufacturing sector has declined in past decades. Producer services include corporate administration and professional and technical services to business. The information sector runs the gamut from entertainment to telecommunications, from data processing to software publishing. Finance includes credit institutions, security and commodity activity and insurance carriers. Growth in services in the past two decades accounts for much of the revitalization of Chicago’s central business district, and rapid growth in some suburban office centers. Another important element in the region’s economy is the consumer services sector. This sector includes retail, health care, education, arts and entertain- ment, hospitality, and repair services. These industries serve consumers (households, institutions and firms) in the huge metropolitan area and together employ nearly 900,000 workers, about one-third more than those employed in manufacturing. The concentrations of these workers are consistent with , Chicago national proportions, and because of their sheer size they form an important part of the local economy.

High Technology High technology industries present a challenge for regional economic development. Unlike manufacturing, their goods are often intangible. Their workers tend to be entrepreneurial, highly skilled holders of specialized knowledge. This suggests that a unique institutional and cultural environment is required to support production of goods and services in these industries. Any region that will compete for these industries must become a high- amenity area, combining a vibrant business environment with world-class cultural and educational assets. Because technology is emerging as an important factor, Table 1 does not yet reflect high levels of technology employment in the region. Even so, the Chicago region is among the largest creators of high technology jobs in the . Moreover, technology companies often create the innovations Tourism that other firms use, and many of the region’s industries are successfully adopting new technologies. This is apparent in the rise of productivity in the manufacturing sector. People and firms must successfully adopt new technologies to constantly improve their productivity. Therefore, education, life-long workforce training, and assistance with technology transfer to small firms will continue to be important for economic development.

4 BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK: A VIEW OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Global Economy and the Regional Economy

One overriding factor to keep in mind is globalization. The regional economy is not just affected by events within the region, or even within the nation. It is affected by the global economy as well.

Regional and global economies are increasingly interrelated due to Global influences will increasingly enormous technological changes and growing opportunities for firms to penetrate into the northeastern operate beyond the constraints of national boundaries. These changes Illinois environment. And, the include: region’s world-class assets open ➣ The declining significance of physical proximity for trade. the door for investment capital, ➣ Reduced communication and transport costs due to technological products, people and ideas to flow improvements. across borders. ➣ Increased use of the Internet. ➣ The fall of trade barriers through international legal arrangements, Foreign-based firms continue to such as The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and find the area a desirable place The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). for their U.S. facilities, and many At the same time, these opportunities make businesses more vulnerable multinational corporations are to effects from beyond the domestic economy. Regions and businesses headquartered here. Our growing are often impacted by events that occur halfway around the world. population of immigrants main- The global economy can be thought of as a series of links. In northeastern tains strong familial and economic Illinois, the economy’s strongest links are domestic, since the region links with their countries of origin. functions as a major manufacturing center for national markets, and an These groups have remade large important service center for firms within the Midwest. parts of the city of Chicago and However, these domestic trade customers may have links outside the the suburbs in recent years, lifting Midwest, importing and exporting goods and services around the world. the cultural and economic vitality They also face global competition for sales abroad and at home. Through of these places. The region is the this linkage, the region’s economic well being becomes increasingly home of world-famous universities, dependent upon the international competitiveness of its trading partners and supports cultural institutions in the Midwest, throughout the nation, and abroad. with international reputations. Because economic activities spill over jurisdictional and even state boundaries, efforts to promote, stabilize or rebuild local economies can These international influences have only limited effects. Subregional alliances, especially those that have helped spur northeastern leverage the efforts of municipalities, combining their common strengths Illinois to be competitive in the while recognizing shared difficulties, can often be more successful. And evolving global economy. Because in turn, they can better promote the health of the regional economy. a significant portion of the region’s businesses are centered in the national and international economy, firms are drawing upon the region’s world class talent and resources to maintain their competitive edge.

northeastern illinois planning commission 5 Subregions and Economic Areas

People work, live and do business throughout the 1980 Employment Sub-centers (Map 1) Chicago CBD region. While some of their activity is spread thinly Cicero-Austin Elgin over wide areas, other specialized activities tend to Evanston Far North Side Chicago concentrate in particular areas. Joliet Melrose Park Montgomery-Aurora Niles North Chicago Industries cluster together in areas when physical nearness provides economic savings Oak Brook by allowing mutual access to resources and customers. This clustering of economic O’Hare Airport activity in places is the basis for formation of large employment centers. Schaumburg Skokie To g e t a s e n s e of the physical location of the region’s economic activity, we can look South Joliet at centers and subregions that are defined by county boundaries. It is important to Univ. of Chicago Waukegan remember, however, that these county areas do not correspond exactly with functional economic areas. The following sections give brief descriptions of the region’s economic 2000 Employment areas, complementing the maps. Sub-centers (Map 2) Arlington Heights Maps 1 and 2 show major job concentrations in northeastern Illinois. They do not Aurora account for every factory, business park and office complex in the region. Rather, they Batavia portray those employment centers that really stand out in the landscape with the densest Bensenville-Elmhurst concentrations of workers. Bolingbrook Burbank Each map displays two sets of data. In Cook and DuPage Counties, quarter sections Carpentersville Chicago CBD containing at least 10,000 employees and 20 employees (or more) per acre, are Crystal Lake highlighted. In the other counties a less restrictive cut-off was used, with at least 5,000 Des Plaines-Rosemont employees in the quarter sections and 10 employees per acre. Downers Grove Elgin During this fifteen-year period, note the steady growth in employment along the I-88 Elk Grove Village corridor in central DuPage County. Also, it is clear that significant growth in employment Evanston Far North Side occurred in Cook and south Lake counties, along the I-94 spur and Lake-Cook Road. Frankfort Employment subcenters continued to grow in southern and central Lake County, in north- Franklin Park east Cook County around O’Hare airport, and along the I-90 corridor continuing out to Glenview-Prospect Heights northeast Kane County. In Will County, an employment concentration continued to build Gurnee Highland Park along the I-80 corridor near Joliet. Hoffman Estates Itasca City of Chicago Joliet Lake Forest The city of Chicago is the region’s economic center. Chicago provided a springboard Libertyville Lincolnshire for the economic expansion of the whole region, despite major loss of the city’s Mattawa manufacturing base over the last fifty years. Today, it still contains about a third of the Maywood-Broadview region’s private-sector jobs. The city holds 25% of the region’s manufacturing job base Midway Airport but nearly 40% of the region’s business services employment. Thus, although Chicago Melrose Park Mundelein experienced an industrial decline, its continuing growth of service sector jobs has made Naperville-Lisle up for much of the loss. The city’s central business district remains the focus for much Norridge of this growth, with physical expansion accompanying its economic vitality. Conventions Northbrook-Deerfield and tourism now play an important role in the city’s service-sector base as well. North Chicago Oak Brook O’Hare Airport Orland Park Schaumburg Skokie-Niles St. Charles Vernon Hills Waukegan W. Naperville Wheaton

6 BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK: A VIEW OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Map 1 Employment Sub-centers in Northeastern Illinois Six County Region, 1980

While has transformed and thrived, some city neighborhoods continue to decline after losing manufacturing jobs. Areas without nearby McHenry Lake Waukegan N. Chicago employment have experienced large-scale housing abandonment. Close to 20 percent of the city’s residents live in households with below-poverty incomes. However, efforts to encourage investment and create new jobs have met with some success, especially through the dedicated work of neighbor- Schaumburg Evanstona hood-based community development groups in cooperation with city and Skokie Elgin Niles state government. The loss of manufacturing jobs slowed during the 1990s, Kane O’Hare Far N. Side while new immigrants gave a slight boost to the city’s population for the first Chicago DuPage Melrose Pk time in decades. Cicero Austin Oak Brook Montgomery- Univ. of Chgo Aurora Cook Suburban Cook County Cook County, covering 960 square miles, contains an array of distinct

Joliet economic subareas in addition to the city of Chicago. They are described together here because of the close relationships among them today. Areas So. Joliet Will within Cook County received firms and households moving outward from the city for much of the twentieth century. Suburban towns themselves promoted construction of industrial parks to attract business from the city and from other regions. Early in the last century, heavy migrated from Chicago to the south Source: NIPC Employment Estimates, 1980 suburbs, to communities such as Chicago Heights, spawning many ancillary industries there. The post-war era saw more movement of light industry to the suburbs around O’Hare Airport. The airport itself stimulated growth in economic activity in the northwest and north suburbs. Some communities there have developed high-end professional service centers that match the Map 2 Employment Sub-centers corporate functions of downtown Chicago. in Northeastern Illinois To d a y t h e c o u n ty holds areas of great vibrancy and areas facing the threat Six County Region, 2000 of decline. Maps 1 and 2 show that most of suburban Cook County’s major employment centers lie to the north and northwest. Nevertheless, west and south parts of the county contain broad bases of manufacturing and trans- Gurnee Waukegan McHenry Lake portation industries with expansion potential. Community-based economic Libertyville N. Chicago Mundelein Lake Forest development groups in these areas have devised plans to promote their Crystal Lake Mettawa industries and build upon their native strengths. This sub-regional planning Vernon Hills Highland Park Lincolnshire will help boost the economic viability of older suburbs in Cook County, some Hoffman Northbrook Carpentersville Estates Arlington Glenview Heights Evanston of which have experienced varying degrees of economic stagnation. Des Plaines Elgin Schaumburg Skokie-Niles Elk Grove Far N. Side St. Charles Itasca Norridge DuPage County Bensenville Franklin Park Kane Melrose Pk Wheaton Chicago Batavia Oak Brook Lying in the center of the region, with good access to interstate highways and DuPage Maywood Downers Grove Midway adjacent to O’Hare Airport, DuPage County (336 square miles) has seen Aurora Naperville-Lisle Burbank considerable employment growth in the past three decades after an earlier Bolingbrook Cook phase of solid residential growth. The I-88 corridor, running through several Orland Park communities from Oak Brook to Aurora, has evolved into one of the region’s major corporate services and research areas. Its eastern end in Oak Brook is Joliet Frankfort the center of a large retail complex. Manufacturing industries in the northeast Will sector, such as Bensenville and Addison, continue to thrive and draw many workers from Chicago and other parts of the region. Newer industrial devel- opment is occurring in the west, around Carol Stream and West Chicago, as well as in the southern area around Naperville and Woodridge. Source: NIPC Employment Estimates, 2000

northeastern illinois planning commission 7 Kane County About 50% of the 525 square miles of land in Kane County remains in farming, although the county contains two primary cities on the Fox River: Aurora and Elgin. Both experienced significant loss of manufacturing base and downtown commercial business in the 1970s and 1980s.However, the cities have revived through new clusters of manufacturing industries and a conversion to services employment. North Aurora has evolved into a notable center for research and development facilities, and there are new business/industrial parks in the Fox River valley towns of Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles. New distribution and warehous- ing facilities have emerged along the I-88 corridor, as well as along the I-90 corridor on the county’s northern edge.

Lake County Lake County (470 square miles) is strategically located between Chicago and Milwaukee. Most job growth in recent decades has occurred in the eastern half of the county, along major east-west roads with good expressway access, including Route 60, Route 22, Route 137 and Lake-Cook Road.These arteries hold concentrations of corporate and professional service employment, as well as large regional shopping malls. Industrial areas in the north- eastern part of the county have experienced heavy job losses, with a resulting decline of several downtown commercial centers. Decline has been somewhat offset by the growth of the nearby Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Lake County will continue to face competition from Wisconsin for residents and businesses.

McHenry County Half of McHenry County’s 610 square miles is still farmland, and half of its resident workers commute out of the county. The rural highway system is overloaded, yet high residential taxes make affordable housing for workers scarce. So McHenry County residents continue to wrestle with the amount of development they desire, and many want to keep its rural character and small-town feel. The east-southeast sections are experiencing rapid residen- tial development with new subdivisions of mid-priced housing. High growth communities include Crystal Lake, Algonquin and Lake in the Hills, and along Randall Road in towns such as Cary and Huntley. Commercial growth is concentrating in the southeast near Cary and Crystal Lake. But manufacturing is spread relatively evenly across the county. In the western sector, Union and Marengo may see significant industrial development in future years due to their proximity to the I-90 and Route 20 interchanges.

Will County Will County (850 square miles) is a center of transportation, with five major highways, most major railroads and a pipeline crossing its large area. Many warehousing facilities have been built in the northwest section along the I-55 corridor, and new industrial parks in the eastern part of the county. There is potential for professional services/office development in the area, but Will County remains the second largest exporter of workers among the region’s counties. An extension of Interstate 355 and a new international airport are among the major infrastructure projects proposed to alleviate the jobs imbalance. Its one primary city center, Joliet, lost much of its industrial base 20 years ago and experienced the decline of its downtown commercial center. Revitalization efforts focus on making the downtown a major subregional entertainment/recreation center.

8 BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK: A VIEW OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY How Economics and Community Life Converge

Community commerce In part because physical location is less of an obstacle to economic activity, the quality of life in our communities has become more important. With high-skilled employees, as well as efficient rail, air, water, and ground transportation systems giving good access to suppliers and customers, a business can successfully operate from any of a number of locations. They will seek communities of high quality. In order to attract leaders in the new global economy, regions need to create places that are considered good environments in which to live and that offer a good quality of life. The vibrant and rapidly growing economic region of northeastern Illinois has many advantages that make it an attractive area in which to live and do business. But many questions remain. For example, can the region maintain its advantages as it grows? Will competition for investment leave some areas behind? The region’s major challenge is to foster and attract new investment while maintaining high quality of life in all of its communities. Such will be the Major league sports mark of world-class regions of the future. For this to occur, residents must come together to work on the region’s problems and growth issues. Concern for balanced growth among the region’s communities will lead to dialogue on a range of issues. Some of these include: ➣ housing ➣ taxation ➣ disinvestment in certain areas ➣ digital networks and telecommunications capability ➣ the region’s transportation system ➣ the region’s airports This dialogue requires an understanding of the regional economy and a consideration of different approaches to regional economic development.

Utility Comed plant

northeastern illinois planning commission 9 Roles for Regional Groups

While still a single economic area, the regional economy exhibits diverse patterns and presents different opportunities for firms and households. This intra-regional diversity can create conflicts of interests, competition for investment, and differing perspectives on appropriate policies.

Below are five areas where dialogue and action can occur on the regional level. Specific steps are mentioned for NIPC and all regional partners. The recommendations are derived in part from the state of Illinois, in the Five Year State and Regional Development Strategy (Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), February, 2001). In this document, the Illinois Economic Development Board makes an extensive overview of the emerging global economy and strongly encourages regional coordination among organiza- tions and stakeholder coalitions. The Board offers the assistance of state agen- cies for regional economic development planning. Five steps to bring parties together, to understand the regional economy and seek ways to promote its growth to the benefit of all, are: information, dialogue, cooperative relationships, planning, and education.

Action Steps To Support Regional Economic Development 1. Information

ACTIVITY PLAYERS TASKS

Forecasting trends NIPC in cooperation Continue to monitor with the Illinois Dept of employment and population Employment Security trends and make forecasts. CATS

Regional economic NIPC Regional economic develop- development Metropolitan Mayors ment databases with informa- information clearing- Caucus tion on regional taxes and house to assist taxing bodies, commercial, business communities CATS industrial and residential land with information to Subregional Economic availability, transportation infra- support local decisions Development structure and plans, environ- Organizations mental plans, and housing.

Central clearinghouse NIPC Collect and publicize eco- on subregional plans nomic development plans for and conditions counties, corridors, and sub- regional areas to help local leaders make informed eco- nomic development decisions.

Monitor land use NIPC and partners from Research spatial effects of patterns universities economic change in the region to assist planners.

10 BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK: A VIEW OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 2. Dialogue

ACTIVITY PLAYERS TASKS

Region-State dialogue Regional partners, Use economic analytical tools to set parameters academic partners, to define the economic region and state policy makers of northeastern Illinois; to at DCCA serve as a coherent, uniform standard for state-level economic development planning and for region-based initiatives.

Railyard Convene communities NIPC Help communities form for economic Local Governments intergovernmental agreements development planning and bring in economic Subregional Economic development specialists. Development Groups

Create a venue for NIPC Support the Common community input Councils of Government Ground regional dialogue, with regional forums and Civic Groups workshops allowing residents to communicate ideas.

Web-based network for Metropolitan Planning Create a metropolitan regional planning leaders Council planning network that will encourage citizen input into local and subregional plans.

3. Cooperative Relationships Advanced manufacturing ACTIVITY PLAYERS TASKS

Region-level NIPC and regional Formulate policy for economic cooperation on partners, with development. economic development consultation from DCCA strategy

Corridor planning NIPC and local Facilitate intergovernmental governments and agreements regarding devel- groups opment along highway and transit corridors.

University research in Area universities and Build upon research in applied technology businesses applied technology in computer networks and software to form partnerships with businesses.

O’Hare International Airport

northeastern illinois planning commission 11 Acknowledgements

4. Planning This publication was made possible through the contributions of those indi- ACTIVITY PLAYERS TASKS viduals listed below, who generously shared insights and wisdom from Comprehensive NIPC and partners Promote citizen participation years of professional experience. planning process in the Common Ground process (from now until Mr.William J. Baltutis 2004) to produce a new Tr a n sportation Management Association Comprehensive General of Lake Cook Road Plan for northeastern Illinois. Ms. Christine Burdick Economic Development Concultant Ms. Mary Clumpner Subregional economic Local governments Compile and provide Robinson Engineering Ltd. development planning information about industry Research groups Ms. Mollie Cole concentrations, local tax Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Counties environment, infrastructure, Councils of government local housing conditions and Ms. Pat DeBonnett other needs for economic Greater Roseland Community development. Development Corp. Mr. Jim Dinkle Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. Incorporate land use NIPC Create local and subregional Ms. Sharon Dixon planning in economic Councils of government comprehensive plans that Kane County Development Department development planning include or refer to matching economic development plans. Mr. Phil Hanegraaf HNTB Corporation Mr. Robert Lahey Digital infrastructure Local officials Prepare for addition of West Central Municipal Conference planning telecommunications infra- Mr. Bill Lester structure, which will be crucial Center for Urban Economic Development, to business development. University of Illinois at Chicago Mr. Jim McConoughey Lifelong Learning Division of Elgin 5. Education Community College Dr. Daniel P. McMillen ACTIVITY PLAYERS TASKS Department of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago Heighten awareness Chicago Council on Encourage civic organizations Ms. Sherry Marnell of region-based Foreign Relations, to publicize their roles. Chicago Southland Alliance organizations with International Trade global connections Association of Greater Mr. Eric Rinehart, Chicago and others Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs Mr. Michael Scholefield Speakers bureau NIPC and regional Make public presentations Southland Chamber of Commerce partners on the region’s economic Ms. Laurie Stone development planning and Greater O’Hare Area Association of related issues to chambers Commerce and Industry of commerce, annual Ms. Jodie Winnett business meetings, and World Business Chicago civic organizations. Ms. Bonnie Wood East West Corporate Corridor Association Map economic NIPC and academia Discuss the methodology and geography process for creating a series of regional economy maps to help address the discrepancy between political boundaries and functional economic regions.

12 BUILDING A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK: A VIEW OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Resources

The many organizations listed below show the Bank of Chicago Illinois Technology Office 1 great breadth of groups at work and resources 230 South LaSalle Street Office of the Governor, 2 ⁄2 State House available for economic development in north- Chicago, IL 60604-1413 Springfield, Illinois 62706 eastern Illinois. Many have undertaken studies Te lephone: 312-322-5322 Telephone: 217-557-5944 of the regional economy and have published www.chicagofed.org www.state.il.us/tech helpful materials. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago publishes a The Office is responsible for managing technological Many non-profit economic development organ- large array of data and analysis on the regional innovation in state government, improving public izations are based in Chicago neighborhoods economy of Chicago and the Midwest. It also houses services with the use of technology and coordinating and in each county of the metropolitan region. the Chicago site of the Regional Economics technology initiatives in various areas such as educa- They range from subregional coalitions such Applications Laboratory, which undertakes economic tion and research. It seeks to upgrade technology forecasting for the region. applications in state government and to deploy as the Chicago Southland Alliance, to neigh- educational initiatives. borhood organizations such as the Greater Global Chicago Library of Roseland Community Development International Relations/Illinois International Trade Association of Corporation. Groups such as the Chicagoland Institute of Technology Greater Chicago Chamber of Commerce have a regional scale of activity. Information about these economic 565 West Adams Street, Suite 310 4610 North Kenton Avenue development organizations can be gained Chicago, IL 60661 Chicago, IL 60630-4020 through local chambers of commerce and Te lephone: 312-906-5120 Telephone: 773-725-1106 through local and county government offices. www.globalchicago.org www.itagc.org This collaborative project is dedicated to fostering The ITA/GC is a not-for-profit business association dialogue among academics and community groups dedicated to promoting international trade. The Center for Labor and Community whose concerns touch upon globalization. Partners group creates a forum for the exchange of practical Research have produced reports that analyze the impacts of information within the business community, providing 3411W. Diversey Avenue, Suite 10 globalization on the region. important information and contacts for those seeking Chicago, IL 60647 to enter overseas markets. Telephone: 773-278-5418 Illinois Coalition www.clcr.org 100 West , Suite 11-600 Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors (City of Chicago) The Center is a not-for-profit organization that seeks Chicago, IL 60601 www.chicagotechtoday.com to promote labor and community participation in Te l e p h o n e: 312-814-3482 decision-making. It engages in research about www.ilcoalition.org The Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors includes technology professionals, entrepreneurs, and public society and the economy and undertakes projects This non-profit partnership of business and govern- sector leaders who monitor the region’s progress in nationwide. ment leaders supports technology industry growth technology adaptation through several subcommit- throughout the state. They promote the high-tech tees. They have formed organizations, implemented Center for Urban Economic sector, provide research, and educate. programs to extend the region’s fiber-optic network, Development, University of Illinois supported technical knowledge, and written reports 400 S. Peoria Street Illinois Department of Commerce such as New Economy Growth Strategy. Chicago, IL 60607 and Community Affairs (DCCA) Telephone: 312-996-6336 100 W. Randolph Street, Suite 3-400 Regional Economics Applications data.cued.uic.edu Chicago, IL 60601 Laboratory, University of Illinois The Center for Urban Economic Development at the Te l e p h o n e: 312-814-7179 607 S. Mathews Street, Room 220 University of Illinois at Chicago (UICUED), seeks to www.commerce.state.il.us Urbana, IL 61801-3671 analyze the unevenness of the urban economy and DCCA, the state’s leading economic development Telephone: 217-333-4740 its implications for low-income and minority urban agency, seeks to enhance Illinois’ economic com- www.uiuc.edu/unit/real communities. UICUED combines research with petitiveness by providing expansion incentives, The Regional Economics Applications Laboratory strategies to promote development and job creation. technology support services, access to capital, and is a cooperative venture between the University of job training and education for workers. The agency Illinois and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Chicago Manufacturing Center forges partnerships with the private sector and It focuses on creating and using analytical models undertakes strategic development planning, with a 55 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 900 for urban and regional forecasting, and supports newly created Five-Year State and Regional Chicago, IL 60604 economic development. Development Strategy. Telephone: 312-542-0500 www.cmcusa.org Illinois Department of Employment World Business Chicago The Chicago Manufacturing Center is a Security 177 N. S t a t e Street, Suite 500 not-for-profit organization that helps to modernize Division of Economic Information Chicago, Illinois 60601 some of the region’s 16,000 small and mid-sized and Analysis Telephone: 312-553-0500 manufacturers. The operation is part of a national www.worldbusinesschicago.org network of similar centers supported through the 401 S. , 7 North Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), of the Chicago, IL 60605 This public-private economic development U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of www.ides.state.il.us corporation is co-chaired by the Standards and Technology. and a prominent corporate leader. The organization IDES provides current data about employment, seeks to promote businesses located in northeastern wages, and occupations. See the useful Illinois Illinois. Chicago Metropolis 2020 Workforce Information Center at www.ILWorkInfo.com 30 West Monroe Street, 18th Floor Chicago, IL 60603 Telephone: 312-332-2020 Credits www.chicagometropolis2020.org Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission The Metropolis 2020 report, Regional Realities, Project Director: John H. Paige provides an insightful set of parameters to measure Project Planner: Alan Mamoser the recent progress of the regional economy. Intern: Brian Richardson Editor: Nancy Seeger Design: Randi Robin Design Photography: John H. Paige