The RTA Community Planning program provides funding and technical assistance to local governments to help foster the growth of sustainable, equitable, walkable, and transit-friendly communities. Since 1998, we have completed more than 200 projects. Learn more about Community Planning projects in the 2025 Local Planning Annual Report.
Since 1998, the RTA’s Community Planning program has provided funding and technical assistance with transit-oriented planning and implementation initiatives with local partners throughout the six-county service area. The goal is to foster the growth of sustainable, equitable, walkable, and transit-friendly communities around transit assets by encouraging transit-supportive land uses and infrastructure. The program aids local economic development by increasing equitable access to employment centers and amenities to serve the constantly evolving needs of our diverse population.
The 10 selected projects that will begin in 2026 are described below.
Applicant | Project Type | Project Description |
Chicago DPD 130th Station | ETOD Plan / Corridor Plan | NITA will partner with the City of Chicago to complete an Equitable Transit Oriented Development Plan for the future 130th Street station area at the terminus of the Red Line extension. The plan will take existing broad land use recommendations for the area and refine them into a cohesive development framework with defined land uses, densities, infrastructure priorities, mobility improvements and an open space strategy. The final product will include a clear and implementable strategy for public agencies, community partners and private developers. |
Chicago DPD Western Ave | ETOD Plan / Corridor Plan | NITA will partner with the City of Chicago to complete a study of the Western Ave. corridor between W. 49th and W. 75th Streets, which is a Bus Priority Corridor for the CTA. The plan will identify ways to transform this auto-centric corridor to a more people-focused environment with different housing types, commercial uses and mobility options available for all travelers. The plan will guide future zoning changes and mobility improvements that will bring investment interest to the corridor and re-establish transit as a primary mode for Western Avenue. |
Des Plaines | Transit Area Parking and Zoning Regulation Updates | The City of Des Plaines will receive assistance to update existing zoning and parking regulations to align with modern development realities and with the People Over Parking Act. Parking and zoning amendments will better allow the City to support transit-oriented, sustainable development patterns, reduce unnecessary parking and regulatory barriers for desired development types, and promote more walkable, transit‑supportive land use patterns. |
Fox Lake | Development Dialogue | NITA will convene a panel of developers in Fox Lake to discuss two sites identified as high priority redevelopment sites in the Village's Downtown Master Plan. Both sites are located within walking distance of the Fox Lake Metra Station on the MD-North line. The Village's main goals for the developer dialogue session will be to gauge current market demand and interest in development; determine how site specifics and the new zoning code align with current development trends, and; determine how new developments align with the village's goal of revitalizing their downtown area. |
Glenwood | Development Dialogue | The Village of Glenwood will receive assistance to solicit feedback from development experts regarding a Villageowned vacant parcel on the northeast corner of Halsted St and Streiff Lane. Pace Route 352 (Halsted) provides daily, 24-hour bus service operating between the CTA 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line station, the Pace Harvey Transportation Center, and the Pace Chicago Heights Terminal and is posed for future service enhancements. The Village has long struggled to attract development to this site, and the primary goal is to hear from experts and developers about the site's potential and what municipal incentives might be needed to attract a private developer. |
Harvard | Corridor Plan | NITA will partner with the City of Harvard to develop a plan that will advance land use along South Division Street, improve pedestrian access to transit and the corridor’s overall economic vitality. By expanding the scope of work for the already underway Harvard Downtown TOD plan, the work will create a strategy to improve safety and accessibility for all road users and establish a strategic guide to implementing the plan recommendations. |
Oak Park | Development Dialogue | NITA will convene a panel of developers in Oak Park to discuss development potential of a former industrial site near the CTA Harlem Blue Line station on the Forest Park branch. This is a key commercial site within the Village that is available for redevelopment, and the Village would like to better understand the interest developers may have in investing in this district for commercial or mixed use development that’s walkable to transit. |
Park Ridge | Transit Area Parking and Zoning Regulation Updates | The City of Park Ridge will receive NITA assistance to update the City's parking regulations in all transit-served areas of the City, and zoning regulations in the area surrounding the Dee Road Metra station. Current parking regulations will be revised to conform to the People Over Parking Act. The City envisions all their transit districts to be walkable, have a mix of land uses and easy access to transit services. |
Skokie | Transit Area Parking and Zoning Regulation Updates | NITA will provide the Village of Skokie with technical assistance to update the Village's zoning code with a specific focus on parking regulations. The Village plans to update their existing permitted/allowable use list, reduce, and in some cases, eliminate off-street parking requirements, and streamline the permit approval/development review process. These amendments will align the Village parking regulations with the People Over Parking Act and will advance their vision to add density, offer attainable housing options and prioritize access to transit for people walking and biking. |
South Elgin | Corridor Plan | NITA will partner with the Village of South Elgin in developing a corridor Plan along IL-31/La Fox Street from Bowes Road on the north to the Fox Valley Trolley Museum to the south. The corridor is serviced by Pace Route 801 connecting the Elgin and Geneva communities and is anticipated for service enhancements. The project area also includes the area along State Street from Gilbert Street on the east to Walnut Street on the west. The Village seeks a plan that will advance redevelopment of the corridor and creates a strategy to improve the mobility network pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. |
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