Ever since the concept of transit-oriented development was introduced and codified in Chicago in 2013, the idea of a new kind of urban housing adjacent to public transportation has been controversial. Mixed-use projects within a short distance of a CTA or Metra rail station (600 feet, or 1,200 on a designated pedestrian street) offer more walkable living in some of the city's densest neighborhoods without the added challenge of carving out new parking spaces, often a barrier to development. With added features such as bicycle parking and green roofs, these new proposals come off readymade with a certain green veneer. However, opponents of some of the current proposals being debated by aldermen and neighborhood groups take a more, shall we say, pessimistic view of these projects. Many feel that despite prognostications of car-free living, new apartments won't suddenly create a new paradigm for urban living but will inevitably bring more cars, saying that TODs will just introduce traffic logjams without responsible provisions for additional parking spots.
Inspired by Streetsblog Chicago's coverage of these new developments, we've put together a map of 15 current projects, which snake out across the north side of the city alongside the Red, Brown and Blue lines and in many cases, follow the contours of Milwaukee Avenue's own development boom.
·Previous Transit-Oriented Development coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Mapping the Development Boom Along Milwaukee Avenue [Curbed Chicago]
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