Regional Plan

ON TO 2050 is the comprehensive plan that guides regional priorities and transportation investments in northeastern Illinois.

The plan was adopted in October 2018 and updated in October 2022.

What should our region look like in 2050? With its many partners and stakeholders, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) developed the ON TO 2050 comprehensive plan to articulate a shared vision of economic prosperity and quality of life. The three-year process included extensive research, analysis, and public engagement.

ON TO 2050’s goals and recommendations identify how the 7 counties and 284 communities of northeastern Illinois will address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues. The plan builds on the agency’s first comprehensive regional plan, GO TO 2040.

Conditions change frequently, which is why CMAP updates its long-range plan every four years. The CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee approved the plan update on October 12, 2022.

Lee el plan regional integral en español.

Plan organization

Principles

ON TO 2050 is guided by three principles: inclusive growth, resilience, and prioritized investment.

Our region today

To plan for the future, you must understand current conditions. CMAP looked at trends in the region and what was needed to thrive in 2050.

Goals and recommendations

The plan is divided into five sections, each with goals and recommendations that chart a path for our communities to succeed together.

Resources

Find indicators that track progress on the plan’s goals, supporting analysis, and other materials relevant to the plan and its creation.

Implementing the plan

It takes a region to implement ON TO 2050. Learn how you can get involved in creating an inclusive and thriving northeastern Illinois.

Plan update

CMAP updates its long-range plan every four years. Find the updated materials and proposed amendments in this section.

The State of Illinois created CMAP in 2005 to address development and transportation challenges in northeastern Illinois through comprehensive planning. ON TO 2050 is the latest plan to fulfill this purpose.

CMAP also is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for northeastern Illinois. MPOs are federally designated body responsible for allocating federal transportation funds and managing the transportation planning process. As past of the planning process, MPOs create long-range transportation plans. ON TO 2050’s mobility section meets this need by listing prioritized projects, some of which are labeled as regionally significant projects.