Recommendation: Use collaborative leadership to address regional challenges

CMAP has a unique role in convening the region’s governments, civic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Submitting regional responses to funding opportunities, such as the Chicago Metro Metals Consortium application for TIGER( Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery ) funds,^{{{Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Chicago Metro Metal Consortium, http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/programs/lta/cmmc.}}} can leverage regional assets, combine contributions from stakeholders, collaborate on shared challenges, and produce more competitive applications. In addition, CMAP has been a leader in guiding implementation of federal and state funding programs and regionally significant projects, as with recent enhancement of 

STP-L. A recent agreement between the councils of mayors, the City of Chicago, and CMAP has yielded important changes to STP-L, establishing performance-based outcomes to program the local dollars and a new shared fund for accomplishing transformational local projects that implement regional priorities like an enhanced freight network or improved transportation for economically disconnected residents.^{{{Memorandum of agreement between The City of Chicago and the CMAP Council of Mayors regarding the distribution and active program management of locally programmed Surface Transportation Block Grant funds under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, October 11, 2017, https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017-STP-Agreement.pdf.}}}

Overcoming metropolitan Chicago’s prolonged slow growth and uneven access to opportunity will require a shared vision for the regional economy. Initial success under the CRGC can help demonstrate the benefits of collaboration among the region’s political and economic development leaders. With sustained private sector engagement and institutional support, CRGC can play a critical role in focusing economic development activities and marshaling resources to address issues that cut across the region’s diverse industries and communities. Such initiatives include improving freight movement in the region, integrating data and information systems for rigorous market analysis, and assembling support for prioritized, multijurisdictional infrastructure investments. Regional coordination among economic development organizations (EDOs) should especially emphasize cluster-oriented strategies by convening business leaders and partners like anchor institutions to address shared, sector-specific challenges. This strategy also appears in the Governance chapter, under the recommendation to Use collaborative leadership to address regional challenges.

Data on economic outcomes reveals stark disparities in how low income and minority populations share in regional progress. These outcomes are particularly negative for the region’s black residents, who face lower incomes, higher unemployment, and longer commutes.^{{{Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, “Economically Disconnected Area clusters in the CMAP region,” January 23, 2018, https://cmap.illinois.gov/cmap-news/economically-disconnected-area-clusters-in-the-cmap-region/.}}} Yet, regions that have stronger potential for upward economic mobility — for all residents — are more economically successful. To meet its potential, the region’s economy requires opportunities for all residents to contribute to and benefit from its growth.^{{{Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, “Inclusive Growth,” July 2017, https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/Inclusive-Growth-strategy-paper.pdf.}}} By creating new pathways and systems that challenge existing inequalities, the region can place itself on a path to higher, more durable growth. Because the causes of inequality are myriad and no single solution exists, the region needs multiple, sustained initiatives to tackle the many issues that perpetuate economic inequality and impair regional prosperity.

Regional partnerships and shared goals are critical to implementing ON TO 2050’s many strategies for inclusive growth. Existing initiatives such as Partnering for Prosperity show the potential for regional collaboration to decrease economic inequality.^{{{Cook County, “Partnering for Prosperity,” April 2013, http://blog.cookcountyil.gov/economicdevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Appendix-B-Partnering-for-Prosperity.pdf.}}} Yet the region’s inclusive growth goals will also require some actions targeted to particular communities’ needs and others designed to reform and integrate activities across public and private institutions. While this strategy includes new and existing activities for CMAP, it will also require additional partners to take the lead and foster regional collaboration. For example, political, civic, and business leaders should continue developing a regional career pathway system, increase investment in disinvested areas, and ensure that emergent transportation technologies support inclusive growth. These and other strategies highlight the far-reaching nature of problems driving inclusive growth and the number of private sector and public actors that will be required to implement effective solutions.

CMAP is mandated by the Regional Planning Act to comprehensively plan for the Chicago region, incorporating land use and transportation planning with work on housing, regional economic growth, water resource management, community development, and environmental issues. In addition, the state legislation that created CMAP included language pledging to fund the agency’s operations and to match federal formula funds with state funding, which would broadly support all of CMAP’s state-mandated planning activities. The goals of ON TO 2050 also will not be achieved without the work of the State of Illinois, local governments, transit agencies, civic organizations, and academic institutions. These entities also may require additional funding and new partnerships to help implement the plan.