Elevated Chicago promotes racial equity, prosperity and resiliency in Chicago communities by using equitable transit-oriented development – or ETOD – as the catalyst for change. Led by a collaborative of nonprofit, public and private organizations, Elevated Chicago aims to turn the ½-mile around transit stations into racially equitable centers for climate resiliency, health and culture. Our work is guided by the core principles of adaptability, impact, inclusion, innovation and transparency. By enabling community-driven development, Elevated Chicago will position station areas as civic assets where programming and the built environment converge to create nodes of opportunity and connection across the region’s vast transit system. Our work began around seven Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) or ehubs. But today, ETOD is everywhere in Chicago, and we've expanded from seven eHubs to nearly two dozen Elevated Chicago Plus communities. Our ETOD Working Group helped create the City of Chicago's first ETOD Policy Plan. We've helped to award grants to create 11 ETOD Policy Plan demonstration projects. And our programs that include the Equitable Development Ambassadors, the J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) cohort with the Metropolitan Planning Council, and our annual symposium are inviting more and more people to understand and advocate for ETOD. Join us in using ETOD as a significant tool for Chicago's recovery from the crises of 2020.
