Our Current Initiatives
Strong Towns Chicago advocates for policies that make our neighborhoods more affordable, our streets safer, and our city easier to navigate. Each of our key initiatives works towards one of these goals.
Transit Task Force
We advocate for frequent, safe, and reliable transportation throughout Chicago. As a community of riders, we share our concerns with transit agency staff and policy makers to improve the rider experience. We use a data driven approach in our advocacy to help the public and policy makers understand the impact of operational changes, funding models, and new investments in Chicago's transit system.
Level Up Chicago
To allow every neighborhood to experience sustainable, bottom-up growth, the signature campaign of the Level Up Chicago initiative, in coalition with Abundance Housing Illinois, is our 4-Flats by Right petition to re-legalize 3- and 4-unit houses on standard lots in all residential areas of Chicago.
In support of this initiative, we co-hosted a March 2025 panel of small-scale builders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of building small multi-unit houses.
Our members’ vigorous advocacy in 2025 pushed for proposed legislation in Springfield that would legalize 4-unit houses and coach houses statewide and we will continue to push legislators to allow incremental development.
Tactical Urbanism
The Tactical Urbanism group uses a DIY approach to take the next smallest step in making our neighborhoods safer and friendlier for all, by advocating for improvements with simple materials and methods.
When CDOT and other local government agencies make improvements, they are often concrete–literally.
We believe that simpler, more cost-effective methods, such as planter boxes and wooden bus benches, should qualify for the $1.5 million infrastructure “menu” funds that each ward is allocated annually.