No other city ordinance more directly affects all of the people of Chicago than the Zoning Ordinance. It contains land use provisions and plans which shape the growth and evolution of our city. The code was first written in 1923, updated in 1942, and last comprehensively revised in May 1957. The Mayor acknowledged that all this would not be easy to accomplish and would require balancing a number of competing interests. The bottom line is that we want to maintain Chicago's unique character.
People live in cities because they like the excitement, the pulse and diversity of cities.
But, Chicago will always be a city of neighborhoods driven by the need to maintain a high quality of life for our residents. This is the challenge that confronts John Schmidt and the Zoning Reform Commission. Theirs is an important task, because it goes to the heart of what makes Chicago our neighborhoods and our downtown such a great place to live, work, raise a family and to visit.