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Does your neighborhood work for you?

What if all Chicago neighborhoods worked for all residents? What if walking, biking, and using public transit were options—available, safe and desirable—for more people? What if everything people needed—including frequent, affordable transit—were within a 10-minute walk from their homes, wherever they lived? These are the questions Elevated Chicago asks and works to answer. We believe that when every community is designed to meet the needs of the people who live there, and when public transit infrastructure is the hub around which activity radiates, then equitable transit-oriented development, or ETOD, is achieved.

Together, we're advancing ETOD

Elevated Chicago is a multi-sector collaborative that promotes more equitable development of public spaces, buildings and vacant land around Chicago’s public transit infrastructure. We focus our work on people—especially Black, Brown and indigenous residents, on places affected by displacement and other forms of inequity in the built environment, and on processes that can repair harms, shift power, spark development, and engage communities.

Meet our new Executive Director, Juan Sebastian Arias

Juan Sebastian Arias standing next to CTA L train

ETODay Party recap: Celebrating grantees

Kevin Sutton showing Elevated Chicago hand fan at ETODay Party on April 11, 2024

Chicago’s vacant lots near transit: A deep dive

Painted tires on a vacant lot in East Garfield Park Chicago

What does ETOD look like?

Our Workplans

Elevated Chicago prioritizes investments in people, places and processes across the city, focusing on the one-half mile radius around Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Metra stations, and on corridors along selected bus routes.

People

We will continue supporting neighborhood residents, business owners, and people who work within the half-mile radius of transit hubs.

Places

We will continue transforming the built environment in the half-mile radius around transit assets such as Chicago Transit Authority and Metra stations, and CTA and Pace bus corridors, to create vibrant, healthy, equitable and resilient communities

Processes

We will continue advocating for more accountable, transparent and inclusive decision-making in public, private and civic organizations responsible for major investments in the built environment and infrastructure

A city that works for all

We can and must plan and develop cities where people of all incomes can live and thrive within dense, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly, and transit-connected communities.