'Homes for a Changing Region' workshop to be held June 12
The Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative is holding an interactive public workshop that will shape future housing planning. The public is encouraged to attend the “Homes for a Changing Region” event, which will bring area residents together to start creating a collective vision for future housing in their community.
The Mount Prospect workshop will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, at the Village Hall, 50 S. Emerson St.
The Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative was created in 2011 to help five municipalities in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs (Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Rolling Meadows) develop regional solutions to common housing issues. Through the "Homes for a Changing Region" project, the communities will engage the public in developing strategies to meet each community's future housing needs.
Community leaders and citizens alike will participate in a board game-like exercise, through which participants work together over large maps and use game pieces representing different types of housing development to indicate how and where the village's expected residential growth should occur. The results will be used to guide strategies in each community that support a balanced mix of housing types, serve the needs of existing and future residents and workers, and enhance livability.
“In hosting this workshop, we hope to gain insight into planning for housing needs,” said Irvana K. Wilks, Mayor of the Village of Mount Prospect. “Whether a business owner or resident, we invite everyone from the community to attend. We will listen to presenters who have gathered demographical data about Mount Prospect and surrounding areas. Then we will explore new ideas the attendees have. Those ideas will help us chart our Village's future."
Homes for a Changing Region is led by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's Local Technical Assistance Program, in partnership with local communities, and with support from the Metropolitan Planning Council. For more information about Homes for a Changing Region, visit http://www.metroplanning.org/homes.
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Metropolitan Planning Council have been integral in the promotion and success of collaboratives in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago Community Trust provided the essential start-up funds to advance the collaborative model.
Contact Information:
Mary Lu Seidel
Housing Coordinator
NWSHC
Village of Arlington Heights
Department of Planning & Community Development
33 S. Arlington Heights Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
847.368.5223
nwshcdirector@gmail.com