Proposed Chicago TOD Ordinance: Increase Density, Eliminate Parking Requirements

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced an update of the city's 2013 transit oriented development ordinance. The new version of the ordinance would have a sweeping effect on the land uses around transit stations in Chicago.

1 minute read

July 28, 2015, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"The office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who proposed and worked with City Council to pass a major TOD ordinance in 2013, unveiled a proposal for a reformed TOD ordinance," according to a post by Yonah Freemark for the Metropolitan Planning Council. For the record, the Metropolitan Planning Council "hails this proposed zoning ordinance as an important step forward in growing our city toward its transit system."

"An initial analysis of the ordinance conducted by MPC shows that the change would more than double the area of land benefiting from increased allowed density, compared with the 2013 ordinance, from 13 million sq. ft. of parcels to 31 million sq. ft. (this represents just a small portion of the city’s total developable area)," adds Freemark. The ordinance would also "increase by more than 10 times the area that would benefit from reduced parking requirements, from 86 million sq. ft. or parcels to 957 million."

The post includes a lot more info on the impacts the proposed ordinance could have enacted. For more information about the city's support of the new ordinance, which could be considered in September, see also a press release from the office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel about the proposed ordinance. 

Monday, July 27, 2015 in Metropolitan Planning Council - The Connector

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation